*****
Ephram wanted to catch up with Amy the next day at lunch. He wanted to talk to her about what had happened, but he was afraid of getting hurt, physically and mentally, so he decided that he'd wait until Amy said something.
"Hey!" Amy called, walking over to where Ephram was seated.
He nodded in her general direction. [A/N: Typical male! I hate it when they do that. It's irritating.]
"So ummm… about last night. Uhhh… I hope that you didn't think too much of that. I was in a bad place and I was vulnerable. You helped me a lot, but I need time to get over Colin. I hope that's alright."
Ephram felt his heart drop. He loved Amy. He wanted to tell her; he wanted to tell the world. Instead he merely gulped and replied. "Oh yeah sure. Whatever." He said stuffing his hands in his pockets and becoming fascinated by his shoes.
"Oh and I was wondering if you would come to the funeral. It's on Saturday. I know you met him like once and he was in a coma then but it would mean a lot to me if you would come."
Unfortunately Ephram had managed to fill his mouth seconds before Amy finished so he nodded at her.
"Is that all you can do today?" Amy asked a little annoyed.
"No. My mouth was full," he said seriously.
"Uh-huh," she said with a laugh. Then she got up and left because lunch was over.
He followed her out to the hallway where their lockers were. He fished around in his locker looking for his chemistry book without any success. The bell rang for classes to start again and Ephram lingered behind, waiting for the halls to clear.
When they did he whirled around and slammed he head into the nearest locker. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been. Amy wants time to get over Colin? Well, that's just peachy. What the hell does she expect me to do? Twiddle my thumbs until she's ready? I'm in love with her, but obviously I can't tell her that now! And how in all hell can she be so damn perky? Good God, boyfriend just died! Little did he know that her happiness was a mask. Inside she was dying, a slow and painful death.
Ephram couldn't stand the thought of suffering through Chemistry and Gym right then. So he went back to his locker, put away his books, took out his backpack and Discman, [A/N: Who the hell comes up with these names?] and walked outside to the bike rack.
Ephram had forgotten what CD he had stuck in the player that morning until the music started. It was Good Charlotte's "The Young and the Hopeless." He had originally gotten the CD because he liked the title, he thought it was rather funny. But after he had listened through he thought it was pretty good. So he hit the random button and waited to see what would play.
If you want me to wait I would wait for you
If you want me to stay I would stay right through
If you don't wanna say anything at all I'm happy wondering
"How appropriate," he said with a laugh.
This world
This world is cold
But you don't
You don't have to go
You're feeling sad
You're feeling lonely
And no one seems to care
You're mother 's gone and father hits you
This pain you cannot bare
But we all bleed the same way as you do
And we all have the same things to go through
Hold on… if you feel like letting go
Hold on… it gets better than you know
"Jeez… another extremely appropriate song."
All the things we talk about
You know they stay on my mind
On my mind
All the things we laugh about
They'll bring us through it every time
After time
After time
Don't say a word
I know you feel the same
Just give me a sign
Say anything
Say anything
Please don't walk away
I know you wanna stay
Just give me a sign
Say anything
Say anything
Some say that time changes
Best friends can become strangers
But I don't want that
No not for you
"Now that's just too freakin' creepy! It's almost like it can pick out the songs I need to hear," he said getting on his bike and riding away.
*****
That Saturday Ephram showed up late, which was a tendency in the Brown family, to the funeral. He ended up sitting in the back so that he wouldn't attract too much attention to his tardiness. It turned out to be a good thing to because otherwise he would have missed seeing Amy run out the door. He followed her.
"Amy, Amy wait!" he called after her once he was outside.
She turned around to see who was calling her. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, her face was blotchy, and her mascara was everywhere. And yet to him, she was beautiful. She ran to him and started to sob into his shoulder.
"Oh Ephram, I couldn't take it. It was too much. To see the coffin, and all the people that loved him, and the people from school came, and it was so overwhelming. I had to get out, I had to escape, but no one understands," she told him.
"Amy, it's alright. I know what you're going through, I understand. Remember I was in the same boat not too long ago. In fact I did the same thing. I ran out of my mother's funeral, just like you're running out of Colin's. So come on, we'll go somewhere, get something to eat, talk. I'm sure Mrs. Hart will understand," he said first rubbing her back then taking her hand in his when she pulled back to look at him.
"Okay," she said steadily looking into his eyes.
"Let's go!"
*****
"So as you see, my father sucks at consoling people." Ephram said to end his story. The two of them were now sitting in Mama Joy's eating French fries, and talking
"You on the other hand, are just the opposite." Amy said taking his hand.
"Amy I think we need to talk."
"Well, what have we been doing for the past three hours?" she asked before seeing the seriousness in his eyes. There was another, stronger emotion there too, but she couldn't place it. She had never seen it in anyone's eyes before, and it scared her to se such a strong emotion coming from a 15- year-old.
"Amy, I love you. I have for a while now. I know that you probably don't feel the same, and you need time to get over all that's happened, but I really needed to tell you. I just couldn't keep it inside anymore."
"Wow," was all that she could manage at first, but eventually she found the words to explain how she felt. "You're right, I do need time to get over Colin, but with you by my side it will go by faster than without you," she said kissing him on the cheek, which of course made him blush, badly.
"Does that make you my girlfriend?" he asked, unsure.
"Yes, I suppose it does," she replied with a smile.
*****
Ephram was riding his bike home alone from school a few days later. He would have been with Amy but she had a dance lesson that day, and he would have waited but if he didn't get home and either make dinner or order take out, Delia would try to eat either cereal or something their father had cooked and stuck in the refrigerator, and he would be blamed.
As he was riding, Bright pulled up next him in his truck. Bright slowed down and eventually stopped. As Ephram went to follow suit, Bright got out of the truck, so in turn Ephram got off his bike. Once he got close enough Bright punched Ephram in the face. The smaller boy fell to the sidewalk. He had never been punched so hard in his life.
"That's for Colin," Bright said. "How could you be so damn inconsiderate? Taking my best friends girlfriend who also happens to be my sister! Did you really think you'd get away with it? Well guess what, you didn't! You're really gonna get it."
Ephram tried to stand, but was knocked flat again by a blow to the stomach. He vomited up the contents of his stomach. He didn't know how much more he could take.
"You can bet that Colin will be after you too once he finds out what you've done." Bright said with smug look on his face.
"Dude, Colin's dead." Ephram said weakly.
"Yeah, whatever." Bright planted a last firm kick in Ephram's side, laughed at the boy sprawled on the sidewalk, got back into his truck, and drove away.
*****
"Ephram what happened? You're a mess!" Dr. Brown sounded genuinely worried, and he was. But his son didn't buy it for a second. Right, you care. That's a good one! Why are you home anyway? Shouldn't you be out saving the residents of Everwood from the sniffles?
"Yeah, like you care." Ephram said still feeling very weak.
"Of course I do. I'm you're father."
"Whatever," the boy said walking up the stairs.
*****
"So Amy, you want to get together tonight? You know get dinner, see a movie, somin' like that." Ephram asked his east coast roots showing through.
It had only been a few hours since her brother had attacked him, but he needed to see her, to hold her.
"Ummm… yeah, sure!" Amy seemed exited despite her hesitation.
"Great… I'll come get you now and we can walk around downtown, find something to do."
"Yeah, I'll see you in what fifteen minutes?"
"'Bout that."
"Ok, bye."
"Bye."
*****
"Oh my god, Ephram what happened to you?" Amy asked concern in her eyes and voice.
"Nothing. I'm fine," he said wincing when she hugged him.
"Right, you're fine, and yet, you have the worst black eye I've ever seen, a cut on your lip and in your eyebrow, and you just winced when I hugged you. Now, you're lying to me and I want to know why!"
Amy's so cute when she's pissed!
"You're right I'm lying to you but it's for your own good so can we drop it?" Ephram said kissing her so she couldn't argue. But when they finished, argue she did.
"We can't drop this. I need to know who did this to you." Amy said defiantly, looking into his eyes, her arms around his neck.
"I'm not telling you. I told you it's for your own good."
"It was Bright wasn't it? That's why you're not telling me, so you can protect me from knowing how much of a moron he is. But Ephram Brown I've lived with the boy all my life so there's no protecting me from that, I already know." Amy said shaking her head, her blonde hair swaying behind her.
"Actually the reason I'm not telling you is because he said that I can't take you from Colin and that Colin will be coming after me too." Ephram was worried how Amy would take it. Her brother might be stupid but he's not that stupid.
"Oh I know, he hasn't accepted Colin's death yet. Mom and Dad are sending him to therapy to quote 'help him recover.' I don't think it'll help. He and Colin were close. Probably closer than Colin and me."
"What that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind. Lets go!"
*****
[A/N: And that's it for this chapter. Please review. Let me know what you think so far.]