A/N: Hope everyone likes the story so far! Here's an update. Enjoy and
review!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
The Aftermath
Chapter Two
Ephram ran through the halls, trailing after the sobs of Amy. He turned the corner and saw her run into the girls bathroom.
"Perfect." Ephram remarked, slightly out of breath. He slowed his pace, reached the door and knocked. "Um, I'm coming in here." He announced. "And, I'm a guy." Just to be sure. "I'm not looking though." He shielded his eyes and pushed the door.
"Amy?" he called, eyes still covered.
Ephram heard a slight giggle, followed by the quick breath of someone who had been crying for a while.
"Ephram, its just me." He heard her soft voice remark.
Ephram removed his hand from his eyes and glanced around. Sure enough, Amy was the only other person in the bathroom.
"Hardly anyone comes in this one." Amy explained. "It's always out of toilet paper."
"That's the good thing about boy's rooms. We never have that problem." Ephram joked, trying to relieve the awkwardness. "But, I guess you didn't need to know that." He added, realizing the stupidity of his last comment.
"Probably not." Amy replied. "So, what, do you usually frequent the girls bathroom?"
"Only when I see someone hysterically crying ducking into one." Ephram responded.
"I was not hysterically crying." Amy replied.
"You weren't?" Ephram asked in disbelief.
"No." Amy replied quietly.
"It'd be okay if you were, you know." Ephram offered. "I mean, I understand how hard a time you're still going through."
"I'm fine Ephram." Amy exclaimed defensively. "I just needed to get out of English."
"Ok."
"Stop doing that." Amy ordered.
"Doing what?" Ephram asked.
"Trying to save me." Amy replied. "I don't need a hero, Ephram. I'm sorry about your Mom and everything, but don't assume that just because you've dealt with death that you felt exactly the way I'm feeling right now."
"Amy, I wasn't trying to.."
"Just stop, ok?" She pushed the door and exited the bathroom.
Ephram stood there, trying to decipher exactly what had just happened. He decided he wouldn't be able to, so he left and returned to History.
As he sat down, Laynie leaned forward. "You ok?" she asked, whispering.
"Bad french toast." He replied.
"Overshare." She remarked, disgustedly.
Ephram turned back around. He still couldn't figure out why Amy was acting so hostile. Here was Laynie, who was dealing with losing Colin too. And he was her brother. They'd known each other a lot better than Colin and Amy, right? And Laynie seemed to be just fine. What was wrong with Amy?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The day progressed, and Ephram soon found himself at lunch, sitting at his usual table, listening to his headphones while eating whatever it was the cafeteria was serving. He had just taken a second bite of what appeared to be some kind of pasta, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
He removed the headphones and turned around.
"Hey." Bright greeted, sitting beside him.
"Wow." Ephram remarked. "This day keeps getting better and better."
"How's it going?" Bright asked.
"You know Bright, these little lunch time visits are getting freakishly habitual." Ephram remarked. "I'm sick of being your spy. Maybe we should go back to you ignoring me all the time."
"You think I only talk to you to find out about Amy?" Bright remarked, pretending to be hurt.
"Well, I hope you only talk to me to find out about Amy, because otherwise it would appear that you and I are 'buds', and that could change the entire course of history. Lets not mess with history Bright." Ephram replied.
"Oh Ephram, you're such a funny guy. And to prove to you that I'm not just using you as my own CIA agent, I want you to come each lunch at my table." Bright offered.
Ephram turned around and glanced at the table Bright was referring to. After the football incident, Bright's lunchtime companions had been reduced to Amy, Laynie and Page. Now there was a happy bunch.
"Uh, thanks for the offer, but I'll pass." Ephram declined.
"C'mon." Bright urged. He picked up Ephram's tray and set it down across from Amy.
Great, thought Ephram.
Laynie was the first to speak. "Hey Ephram."
"Hey." Ephram replied.
"Feeling better?" she asked.
"Huh?" Ephram asked, forgetting what he had told her earlier. "Oh. Yeah. Thanks."
"What was wrong with you?" Amy asked, entering the conversation.
"Nothing." Ephram replied.
"Well, that nothing sure made you leave history fast." Laynie remarked.
Amy remembered back to this morning when Ephram had followed her into the bathroom. He must have covered for her by telling Laynie he hadn't felt well. She shifted uncomfortably, changing the subject. "So that pop quiz was killer, huh?" she remarked.
"Yeah." Laynie agreed.
"Not as bad as the English test will be." Ephram remarked. "How hard was it Amy?"
Amy was floored. He knew she had skipped English. "It was, um, ok, I guess."
"Oh man, I completely forgot about that." Laynie exclaimed. "What was the essay topic, Amy?"
"You know, I don't really remember." Amy replied. "I've actually got to go to the library to finish my physics homework." She started to get up.
"What about your lunch?" Page asked. "You haven't touched it."
"Oh, I had a really big breakfast." Amy lied, walking away from the table.
"No you didn't." Bright remarked. "Amy!" he called after her, but she was gone.
"That's the 3rd time this week she's left lunch to go do work." Laynie noted.
"She hasn't eaten anything all day." Bright added. "She's gonna like, pass out or something."
"Maybe I should go talk to her." Page offered.
"She won't listen." Laynie replied.
"We've all tried." Bright added. "Even my mom and dad. She won't listen to anyone."
Ephram looked at the people sitting with him. Their faces were worried and tired. He wondered if he should tell them about what had happened that morning, or keep his mouth shut. He decided upon the latter. He suspected his concern was visible though. All four knew that this was all going to come to a head soon, but no one knew how to prevent it.
TBC!
Review!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
The Aftermath
Chapter Two
Ephram ran through the halls, trailing after the sobs of Amy. He turned the corner and saw her run into the girls bathroom.
"Perfect." Ephram remarked, slightly out of breath. He slowed his pace, reached the door and knocked. "Um, I'm coming in here." He announced. "And, I'm a guy." Just to be sure. "I'm not looking though." He shielded his eyes and pushed the door.
"Amy?" he called, eyes still covered.
Ephram heard a slight giggle, followed by the quick breath of someone who had been crying for a while.
"Ephram, its just me." He heard her soft voice remark.
Ephram removed his hand from his eyes and glanced around. Sure enough, Amy was the only other person in the bathroom.
"Hardly anyone comes in this one." Amy explained. "It's always out of toilet paper."
"That's the good thing about boy's rooms. We never have that problem." Ephram joked, trying to relieve the awkwardness. "But, I guess you didn't need to know that." He added, realizing the stupidity of his last comment.
"Probably not." Amy replied. "So, what, do you usually frequent the girls bathroom?"
"Only when I see someone hysterically crying ducking into one." Ephram responded.
"I was not hysterically crying." Amy replied.
"You weren't?" Ephram asked in disbelief.
"No." Amy replied quietly.
"It'd be okay if you were, you know." Ephram offered. "I mean, I understand how hard a time you're still going through."
"I'm fine Ephram." Amy exclaimed defensively. "I just needed to get out of English."
"Ok."
"Stop doing that." Amy ordered.
"Doing what?" Ephram asked.
"Trying to save me." Amy replied. "I don't need a hero, Ephram. I'm sorry about your Mom and everything, but don't assume that just because you've dealt with death that you felt exactly the way I'm feeling right now."
"Amy, I wasn't trying to.."
"Just stop, ok?" She pushed the door and exited the bathroom.
Ephram stood there, trying to decipher exactly what had just happened. He decided he wouldn't be able to, so he left and returned to History.
As he sat down, Laynie leaned forward. "You ok?" she asked, whispering.
"Bad french toast." He replied.
"Overshare." She remarked, disgustedly.
Ephram turned back around. He still couldn't figure out why Amy was acting so hostile. Here was Laynie, who was dealing with losing Colin too. And he was her brother. They'd known each other a lot better than Colin and Amy, right? And Laynie seemed to be just fine. What was wrong with Amy?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The day progressed, and Ephram soon found himself at lunch, sitting at his usual table, listening to his headphones while eating whatever it was the cafeteria was serving. He had just taken a second bite of what appeared to be some kind of pasta, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
He removed the headphones and turned around.
"Hey." Bright greeted, sitting beside him.
"Wow." Ephram remarked. "This day keeps getting better and better."
"How's it going?" Bright asked.
"You know Bright, these little lunch time visits are getting freakishly habitual." Ephram remarked. "I'm sick of being your spy. Maybe we should go back to you ignoring me all the time."
"You think I only talk to you to find out about Amy?" Bright remarked, pretending to be hurt.
"Well, I hope you only talk to me to find out about Amy, because otherwise it would appear that you and I are 'buds', and that could change the entire course of history. Lets not mess with history Bright." Ephram replied.
"Oh Ephram, you're such a funny guy. And to prove to you that I'm not just using you as my own CIA agent, I want you to come each lunch at my table." Bright offered.
Ephram turned around and glanced at the table Bright was referring to. After the football incident, Bright's lunchtime companions had been reduced to Amy, Laynie and Page. Now there was a happy bunch.
"Uh, thanks for the offer, but I'll pass." Ephram declined.
"C'mon." Bright urged. He picked up Ephram's tray and set it down across from Amy.
Great, thought Ephram.
Laynie was the first to speak. "Hey Ephram."
"Hey." Ephram replied.
"Feeling better?" she asked.
"Huh?" Ephram asked, forgetting what he had told her earlier. "Oh. Yeah. Thanks."
"What was wrong with you?" Amy asked, entering the conversation.
"Nothing." Ephram replied.
"Well, that nothing sure made you leave history fast." Laynie remarked.
Amy remembered back to this morning when Ephram had followed her into the bathroom. He must have covered for her by telling Laynie he hadn't felt well. She shifted uncomfortably, changing the subject. "So that pop quiz was killer, huh?" she remarked.
"Yeah." Laynie agreed.
"Not as bad as the English test will be." Ephram remarked. "How hard was it Amy?"
Amy was floored. He knew she had skipped English. "It was, um, ok, I guess."
"Oh man, I completely forgot about that." Laynie exclaimed. "What was the essay topic, Amy?"
"You know, I don't really remember." Amy replied. "I've actually got to go to the library to finish my physics homework." She started to get up.
"What about your lunch?" Page asked. "You haven't touched it."
"Oh, I had a really big breakfast." Amy lied, walking away from the table.
"No you didn't." Bright remarked. "Amy!" he called after her, but she was gone.
"That's the 3rd time this week she's left lunch to go do work." Laynie noted.
"She hasn't eaten anything all day." Bright added. "She's gonna like, pass out or something."
"Maybe I should go talk to her." Page offered.
"She won't listen." Laynie replied.
"We've all tried." Bright added. "Even my mom and dad. She won't listen to anyone."
Ephram looked at the people sitting with him. Their faces were worried and tired. He wondered if he should tell them about what had happened that morning, or keep his mouth shut. He decided upon the latter. He suspected his concern was visible though. All four knew that this was all going to come to a head soon, but no one knew how to prevent it.
TBC!
Review!