Chapter 6: Why You Should Never Get Drunk When You're Sad

The night Amy dumped Ephram, Ephram made some bad decisions. When he was looking around for something to drink he found sodas, but he also found a few bottles of alcohol. He chose the alcohol. Since Jordan had asked for whatever he was having he gave her some too. That was start of a chain of events that lead up to a life altering decision.

*****

"Ephram! Ephram come here!" Jordan ran up to him in the hall, looking panicked.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Jordan looked around. There were too many people in the hall. "Come in here," she said pulling him into an empty classroom.

"Okay. What's up? It's something bad isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's bad."

"Well, come on, tell me. I mean how bad can it be?"

"Pretty bad."

"It's okay. Just tell me."

"Okay here goes. Ephram... do you remember like a week ago when you came over my house that night?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Not really, it's a little fuzzy. But what does that have to do with anything." Ephram was clearly lost.

"I'm getting there. Well see the thing is... I'm... umm... I'm pregnant."

"P-pregnant?" Ephram was shocked.

"That was pretty much my reaction."

"Shit! Oh shit, I'm in trouble."

"You? You're not the one with a person growing inside you!"

"Yeah, but did you think about how our parents are going to react?"

"Your right. Oh crap! But are you okay with it? You're not mad are you?"

"No, no... I'm fine with it... I actually am kind of glad... I mean being a parent at fifteen isn't the greatest thing but... I think it's cool."

*

"Hey Dad?" Ephram was trying to think of the best way to tell his father that he had gotten a girl pregnant.

"Yes Ephram?" Dr. Brown was amazed his son was talking to him of his own free will.

"Well... umm... uhh... do you remember that night that I was out really late, because I was at Jordan's house?"

"I think so. That was last week right?"

"Yeah. Well that night I kind of slept with her... and now she's kind of... pregnant."

"Wait, you're kidding. Please tell me your kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?!"

"Ephram fifteen is too young to be a father!!!"

"Yeah well I wish I was older too, but I'm not."

"Are you telling me that you don't mind the fact that you're going to be a father?"

"Yes."

"And I'm going to be a grandfather? No. I can't be a grandfather. I'm too young!"

"Why are you going to be a grandfather?" Delia asked. She had just walked in the room so she hadn't heard the rest of the conversation.

"Well you see Delia, I did something stupid. I got a friend of mine pregnant. That means she's going to have baby," he said trying to explain to his sister.

"Ephram, I know what it means. I'm nine, not stupid. But you are stupid. How could you do that? I can't believe you!" Delia ran out of the room. Her brother that she counted on to always do the right thing had screwed up. He had let her down.

"Ephram you've disappointed your sister."

"I can see that Dad!"

"Well she's not the only one. You've disappointed me too," Dr. Brown said turning his back and walking away.

*

"Wait so are you telling me that after I dumped you, you went to her house, had sex with her, and went home like nothing was wrong!" Amy said. She didn't know how Ephram could be that stupid.

"Well yeah, but I was drunk. I had no idea of what was going on," said Ephram, trying to defend himself.

"You were drunk? But you only drink when your mad at- oh no, this is all my fault!"

"Amy no. Don't blame yourself. I could have just as easily had a soda."

Amy took Ephram's hand in her own. "It's gonna be okay Ephram. It will all work out in the end." Amy was disappointed in him but he needed a friend now. Besides he had been there for her in the past so many times.

"I know. I actually think it's kinda cool."

"Well that's good. So do you want it to be a boy or girl?"

"I dunno. A girl I guess because, that way I don't have to worry about it being like me and my dad."

"Plus, when she's old enough, you can chase off any dates she gets," said Amy with a laugh.

"Yeah well there's that," he said laughing with her.

*****

A few months passed without any major problems. That is if you call, two members of your family not speaking to you and a good friend of yours being totally insane, minor. Ephram relied on Amy to get him through; she was all that kept him from shooting himself.

One night the two of them were sitting in Ephram's bedroom talking. They were talking about school, teachers, friends, and pretty much everything else, when Amy brought up family.

"I swear, Bright is insane! They should stick him in a straight jacket, and put him in a padded room. The kid is nuts," she said half laughing.

"My sister hates me. She won't even look at me, and my father is avoiding me," he said with a very serious look on his face.

"It's really too bad. They could be big support right now."

" I know. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he stuck me on the next plane outta here once the baby's born though."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I know my father. He's sick and tired of me screwing up. He'll send me to New York to live with my grandparents so he doesn't have to deal with me anymore."

"He wouldn't really do that though would he?"

"Oh yeah, he would."

Amy started to freak out. Dr. Brown couldn't send Ephram away! Ephram was her best friend. He was always there for her. He had been there for her more than everyone else combined. Now, when she was finally starting to realize him for what he was, he was being sent away! That couldn't happen!

Ephram saw the fear and panic in her eyes. He moved over next to her and put his arms around her waist. "Don't worry Ames. I'm not going anywhere without a fight."

*

"J, we seriously need to start to think about names." Ephram was becoming slightly annoyed. He been trying to get her to do this for an hour and still hadn't succeeded. She had sidetracked him four different times now.

"But Ephram! I'm starving can we order a pizza?" They were in her kitchen, and she really was starving.

"No. We'll call Gino Chang's later and get pizza. Just sit. We're doing this now."

"Oh, fine. But you sound like you father," she said sitting down.

"Though that scares me deeply, you are not sidetracking me again. We are doing this."

"Ok. For a girl?"

"Well, can we use Julia as the middle name? It was my mother's name. I'd say use it as the first name, but that's predictable. I hate predictable, and so did she."

"Yeah that's fine. I think it's sweet that you would honor your mother that way," she said.

"So what about a first name?" he asked.

"Ummm... how about Anastasia? I love that name I think it's so pretty. It's a good movie too."

"Ok." he said laughing that she got that from a movie.

"What if it's a boy?" she wanted to know.

"Uhhh.... Michael James. I had a friend named that out in New York."

"Yeah that's cute."

"You know we're done now."

"Really? That was easier than I thought it would be."

"Well if we had done it an hour ago when I first got here the you could be finishing off that pizza right now."

"So we can get pizza?"

"Call Gino," he said laughing at her yet again.

*

Amy called about thirty seconds after he got home.

"So Ham, what did you pick for names?"

"Anastasia Julia and Michael James."

"Ohhh.... that's so cute."

" I thought so too."

*****