Bright stumbled home in a daze. They had only been going out for what; a
few weeks, and she was already being taken away from him. Denver wasn't
that far away. He could visit her on weekends; it couldn't be so bad;
right? He sighed, knowing he was lying to himself. It would be hell.
Sure he was fine before he met her, but no one knew she was his rock, his constant now. Amy didn't know he was a mess inside just like her. Remy seemed to swoop in, kiss him once and the mess was gone, helping him rebuild his life from the ground up. It was slow, but it was better that way.
He stopped under the first streetlight he came across. Why was this place so special? He sniffed and blinked back a few tears that stung his eyes. He looked across the street to the cemetery; it was dully lit but he could pick out the newest grave stone, Colin's. He could visualize his first real kiss with Remy, right at the foot of Colin's grave.
In a weird way he knew Colin would approve of her. It was like the wind whispered it in his ear sending chills up his spine. He could imagine Colin and Remy goofing off if they had met. He could almost hear them banter over little things. If Colin was alive they could have gone on double dates, rolled their eyes as their girlfriends whispered about the prom and hold back burning tears as they left for college. If only he wasn't so dumb. If only they actually listened. If only Colin were here, he would know what to do. He would know how to talk to that stubborn jackass so he wouldn't loose his other best friend.
Best friend. Those words echoed through his brain. Then it clicked. He wasn't the only person who was loosing something here.
Amy hadn't been so depressed when Remy was around. Hell, Amy actually smiled when he cracked jokes now and she blushed when he brought up Ephram; she was rebuilding too. He could tell it was harder for her than for him maybe because he hadn't kissed Colin, not that he would want to. But that was beside the point; Remy brought Amy closer to people. He wasn't sure how, but it was good.
Then there was Ephram. He knew that they were like siblings mainly because he didn't feel jealous when she hugged Brown tightly when she was upset or would wink seductively at him in the cafeteria. He could never understand how Brown could be so close to Remy and yet never fall for her. Bright had never had a relationship with a girl like that. It was oddly beautiful in his eyes.
He wondered how Ephram would take it when he found out his best friend was taken away from him again and he would be alone. Well, that wasn't true. He did have Amy and Bright guessed he would be there for Ephram, and he did still have Wendell; not that Bright had seen that kid around Brown all that much anymore.
His thoughts drifted back to Remy. Her father really knew how to make those big green eyes of hers well up. Just the thought of her face being streaked with tears again made those little pangs deep, deep inside immerge. For a second he thought of a future with Remy.
He knew that girls constantly thought of a future with their boyfriends, looking through bridal magazines and naming their future children, but this was the first time he actually thought about a future with a girl. Actually that was a lie. He did think about the future, it just usually consisted of a few girls, a bed and a lots and lots of wine. But thinking of being with just Remy was so comforting. It was cool to have a girl who liked him and yet still call him on his bullshit and be sweet about it. He knew that if Remy was his, he would never make those eyes cry ever unless they were tears of joy.
That's why he couldn't bear watch her go to Denver. She belonged with him in Everwood; skating in the winter, running through the big field while the rest of the school stayed at the bonfire or just having a Blockbuster night. Denver was too far away from him. He needed her here to tell him that football was an absolutely dumb game that guys used as an excuse to hit each other and to help him tease Amy about Ephram.
Then he wondered what would happen if Remy's father actually had his way. Remy may go to an all girls' school but Remy was sneaky. If she needed to she could sneak a guy into her room. Or worse; he could hurt her. He could get so upset that he may get drunk at one of those keggers in the woods late at night and make out with some girl who was his 'type' up until a few weeks ago. Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would drift apart and forget what they had.
He pushed those thoughts aside. They loved each other too much to do that. Wait . . . did he think love? He went over his thoughts. Yea, he did. That was it. He had to tell her before she was gone.
He looked behind him and realized the cemetery was so far behind him. He looked ahead of him and realized everything looked oddly familiar. He shook his head realizing he was home. Home; where Amy and his parents were sitting around watching TV or discussing some silly activity that was happening in Everwood soon. Soon he would walk in and shatter their world by admitting his was shattered. Amy would be upset and they would have to tell the Brown's. Soon he would ruin six other people's day with only a few words. She's being sent away.
Soon, but not now; right now he was going to be alone even if it was on the front steps of his house. The icy November air swirled around him and he tucked his hands into the sleeves of the long sleeved shirt he wore. He had given his jacket to Remy, she may not have needed it, but it was nice knowing that she needed him and that his jacket reminded her of him.
The front door creaked behind him and the hallway light spilled out into the night. "Bright? What are you doing outside?" His father asked with a hint of surprise dripping from his tone. Bright could feel his father's eyes bore into his back.
"Thinking." Bright said in response; not turning around and breathing in the cool air.
He could almost hear his father's expressions change from surprise to worry. "Well how about you think inside, where it's warm. Maybe I can help."
Bright pushed himself up off the stoop and turned toward his father, blinking a few times.
"Jesus, Bright. You're as white as a ghost and you're eyes are all red. Come here son. What happened? Is something wrong with Remy?" Harold gasped pulling his son in by his usually confident shoulders, which now drooped, hunching him over slightly.
Bright blinked unable to speak staring into the house where his mother had followed his father to the hall. "Bright." She whispered reassuringly.
Bright swallowed. "How long does it take to get to Denver?" he asked staring into the eyes of his father.
"Where is Remy? Amy said you were with Remy and what is this about Denver?" Harold asked pulling a dumb stuck Bright into the den where Amy sat reading a book for English.
Ephram sat alone on his bed and the light from the lamp beside his bed spilled across the hardwood floor like a golden pathway and casting shadows across the walls. It was unusually quiet in his house. His dad was reading some huge textbook in the den that probably weighed more than Delia and Delia was with Nina and Sam mini golfing. Yea, like he was actually going to do that.
Something was odd about tonight and he could quite tell what. It was just the way his room felt as he sat in it or was it the air around him that was thick and heavy or maybe it was that sinking feeling in his gut. Cautiously he got up from his bed glancing at the clock beside his bed. "10:30. . ." he murmured to himself as he walked into the hall and down the stairs.
He stopped at the doorway of the den. His father sat in a large chair rubbing his temple with his middle finger as he squinted at the large book in his lap. It was like one of those Norman Rockwell pictures that his mom liked and collected, and yet it was different. His father flipped the page and he leaned back in the chair rubbing his face in frustration. Ephram knew exactly why. Andrew Brown, the famous surgeon, the miracle worker or village lunatic; either way it didn't matter; was lonely.
Maybe that is what made that night so weird. Ephram was lonely too, but not in the same way. Remy usually called him but now. Like Remy had never gone this long without talking to him in some form or fashion. The longest they had gone not talking to each other was like in the first grade. Ephram walked to the kitchen smiling at the memory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I did not!" A boy with dark hair and dark eyes yelled at a short girl with long raven black hair that was slowly falling out of the ponytail holding it together.
The girl scowled at him. "Ephram you're lying! I watched you squash it!"
The boy scowled back at her. "Even if I did, I didn't mean to!"
"You squashed my brownie on purpose!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did . . ." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ephram shook his head. Who would have known that a brownie would pull apart a friendship like theirs? Well sort of. Their argument lasted until the bus ride home, but for those couple of hours that hated each other. It was like a full scale war involving the entire class. Name calling, hair pulling, crayon breaking, tripping; the works. Soon after they found out that they caused less trouble when they worked together, not that they didn't cause trouble.
So where was Remy, and why did she call? He leaned against the island in the kitchen and looked out the window. She either would have called or snuck into his room; depending on the scale of the argument she had with her parents that night.
Sure Ephram had his full scale screaming matches with his dad, but he usually understood where he was coming from. With Remy and her parents it was like they enjoyed yelling at each other. They liked know they had the upper hand, knowing which buttons to push to get the largest reaction; her father especially. Remy and her father had an unspoken rule that a few topics weren't to be spoken about, the two major ones were her mother and the whole baby issue and Ephram's mom. When her father broke that rule Remy was heartbroken. Everyone knew that wasn't fair.
Why couldn't her father just love her for what she was? Ephram thought to himself. Remy was a good kid, other than the sarcastic, flirtatious law breaker but that was only a small side to her. Remy loved her parents, especially her mom, even if she screamed that hated them both, which Ephram had seen more times than he could count. Even if every door was slammed in their face; even if she cussed at them and snuck out; she truly loved them. How could she not? But sometimes, as Ephram watched her father yell at her, he could tell some of the things he said he meant.
He remembered a few weeks before his mom died, Remy had another blow out with her father. He remembered seeing her sit with his mother on his parent's bed and her face seemed like stone. After that fight Remy didn't crack a smile for weeks and after his mom was gone, Remy was the same way, like barely alive. Remy wasn't actually there. Remy later told him that the last piece of advice his mom gave her was to always be herself: even if someone doesn't like it. You will be less happy if you conform to what other people want or expect. Ephram lived his life by that now; or at least tried to.
He sighed. But he still expected that call from Remy. So when the phone rang abruptly his heart skipped a beat. He slid across the hardwood floor and almost crashed into the wall and quickly checked the call display. "Abbott." He murmured to himself. Remy was probably staying the night there because it was closer.
He picked up the phone. "Hey Rem." He smiled. "Bright? What's wrong, you sound panicked." He said into the phone frowning. "Yea. . . I'll be at her house in a minute. Thanks for telling me."
Ephram slammed the receiver back on the holder and walked his way to the front door grabbing his coat and slipping on his shoes. "Dad I'm going over to Remy's. I'll be back in the morning." He called as he slammed the door. Nothing was going to stop him. Remy was there when he needed her now he was going to be there for her; just returning the favour.
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A/N: Yup, lots of thoughts. I just thought that it would be kind of interesting to do something like that. But whatever, this was mainly fluff. The action is going to start next chapter I swear. And Remy isn't going to run away from her parents' house because well she doesn't have anyplace to go, and Everwood is a pretty small place so I figure they would probably find her pretty quickly, besides I already have an OC story about a runaway so I don't want to do that again. Anyways Review because . . . uhhhh. REVIEW!!! : )
~TOODLES!
Sure he was fine before he met her, but no one knew she was his rock, his constant now. Amy didn't know he was a mess inside just like her. Remy seemed to swoop in, kiss him once and the mess was gone, helping him rebuild his life from the ground up. It was slow, but it was better that way.
He stopped under the first streetlight he came across. Why was this place so special? He sniffed and blinked back a few tears that stung his eyes. He looked across the street to the cemetery; it was dully lit but he could pick out the newest grave stone, Colin's. He could visualize his first real kiss with Remy, right at the foot of Colin's grave.
In a weird way he knew Colin would approve of her. It was like the wind whispered it in his ear sending chills up his spine. He could imagine Colin and Remy goofing off if they had met. He could almost hear them banter over little things. If Colin was alive they could have gone on double dates, rolled their eyes as their girlfriends whispered about the prom and hold back burning tears as they left for college. If only he wasn't so dumb. If only they actually listened. If only Colin were here, he would know what to do. He would know how to talk to that stubborn jackass so he wouldn't loose his other best friend.
Best friend. Those words echoed through his brain. Then it clicked. He wasn't the only person who was loosing something here.
Amy hadn't been so depressed when Remy was around. Hell, Amy actually smiled when he cracked jokes now and she blushed when he brought up Ephram; she was rebuilding too. He could tell it was harder for her than for him maybe because he hadn't kissed Colin, not that he would want to. But that was beside the point; Remy brought Amy closer to people. He wasn't sure how, but it was good.
Then there was Ephram. He knew that they were like siblings mainly because he didn't feel jealous when she hugged Brown tightly when she was upset or would wink seductively at him in the cafeteria. He could never understand how Brown could be so close to Remy and yet never fall for her. Bright had never had a relationship with a girl like that. It was oddly beautiful in his eyes.
He wondered how Ephram would take it when he found out his best friend was taken away from him again and he would be alone. Well, that wasn't true. He did have Amy and Bright guessed he would be there for Ephram, and he did still have Wendell; not that Bright had seen that kid around Brown all that much anymore.
His thoughts drifted back to Remy. Her father really knew how to make those big green eyes of hers well up. Just the thought of her face being streaked with tears again made those little pangs deep, deep inside immerge. For a second he thought of a future with Remy.
He knew that girls constantly thought of a future with their boyfriends, looking through bridal magazines and naming their future children, but this was the first time he actually thought about a future with a girl. Actually that was a lie. He did think about the future, it just usually consisted of a few girls, a bed and a lots and lots of wine. But thinking of being with just Remy was so comforting. It was cool to have a girl who liked him and yet still call him on his bullshit and be sweet about it. He knew that if Remy was his, he would never make those eyes cry ever unless they were tears of joy.
That's why he couldn't bear watch her go to Denver. She belonged with him in Everwood; skating in the winter, running through the big field while the rest of the school stayed at the bonfire or just having a Blockbuster night. Denver was too far away from him. He needed her here to tell him that football was an absolutely dumb game that guys used as an excuse to hit each other and to help him tease Amy about Ephram.
Then he wondered what would happen if Remy's father actually had his way. Remy may go to an all girls' school but Remy was sneaky. If she needed to she could sneak a guy into her room. Or worse; he could hurt her. He could get so upset that he may get drunk at one of those keggers in the woods late at night and make out with some girl who was his 'type' up until a few weeks ago. Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would drift apart and forget what they had.
He pushed those thoughts aside. They loved each other too much to do that. Wait . . . did he think love? He went over his thoughts. Yea, he did. That was it. He had to tell her before she was gone.
He looked behind him and realized the cemetery was so far behind him. He looked ahead of him and realized everything looked oddly familiar. He shook his head realizing he was home. Home; where Amy and his parents were sitting around watching TV or discussing some silly activity that was happening in Everwood soon. Soon he would walk in and shatter their world by admitting his was shattered. Amy would be upset and they would have to tell the Brown's. Soon he would ruin six other people's day with only a few words. She's being sent away.
Soon, but not now; right now he was going to be alone even if it was on the front steps of his house. The icy November air swirled around him and he tucked his hands into the sleeves of the long sleeved shirt he wore. He had given his jacket to Remy, she may not have needed it, but it was nice knowing that she needed him and that his jacket reminded her of him.
The front door creaked behind him and the hallway light spilled out into the night. "Bright? What are you doing outside?" His father asked with a hint of surprise dripping from his tone. Bright could feel his father's eyes bore into his back.
"Thinking." Bright said in response; not turning around and breathing in the cool air.
He could almost hear his father's expressions change from surprise to worry. "Well how about you think inside, where it's warm. Maybe I can help."
Bright pushed himself up off the stoop and turned toward his father, blinking a few times.
"Jesus, Bright. You're as white as a ghost and you're eyes are all red. Come here son. What happened? Is something wrong with Remy?" Harold gasped pulling his son in by his usually confident shoulders, which now drooped, hunching him over slightly.
Bright blinked unable to speak staring into the house where his mother had followed his father to the hall. "Bright." She whispered reassuringly.
Bright swallowed. "How long does it take to get to Denver?" he asked staring into the eyes of his father.
"Where is Remy? Amy said you were with Remy and what is this about Denver?" Harold asked pulling a dumb stuck Bright into the den where Amy sat reading a book for English.
Ephram sat alone on his bed and the light from the lamp beside his bed spilled across the hardwood floor like a golden pathway and casting shadows across the walls. It was unusually quiet in his house. His dad was reading some huge textbook in the den that probably weighed more than Delia and Delia was with Nina and Sam mini golfing. Yea, like he was actually going to do that.
Something was odd about tonight and he could quite tell what. It was just the way his room felt as he sat in it or was it the air around him that was thick and heavy or maybe it was that sinking feeling in his gut. Cautiously he got up from his bed glancing at the clock beside his bed. "10:30. . ." he murmured to himself as he walked into the hall and down the stairs.
He stopped at the doorway of the den. His father sat in a large chair rubbing his temple with his middle finger as he squinted at the large book in his lap. It was like one of those Norman Rockwell pictures that his mom liked and collected, and yet it was different. His father flipped the page and he leaned back in the chair rubbing his face in frustration. Ephram knew exactly why. Andrew Brown, the famous surgeon, the miracle worker or village lunatic; either way it didn't matter; was lonely.
Maybe that is what made that night so weird. Ephram was lonely too, but not in the same way. Remy usually called him but now. Like Remy had never gone this long without talking to him in some form or fashion. The longest they had gone not talking to each other was like in the first grade. Ephram walked to the kitchen smiling at the memory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I did not!" A boy with dark hair and dark eyes yelled at a short girl with long raven black hair that was slowly falling out of the ponytail holding it together.
The girl scowled at him. "Ephram you're lying! I watched you squash it!"
The boy scowled back at her. "Even if I did, I didn't mean to!"
"You squashed my brownie on purpose!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did . . ." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ephram shook his head. Who would have known that a brownie would pull apart a friendship like theirs? Well sort of. Their argument lasted until the bus ride home, but for those couple of hours that hated each other. It was like a full scale war involving the entire class. Name calling, hair pulling, crayon breaking, tripping; the works. Soon after they found out that they caused less trouble when they worked together, not that they didn't cause trouble.
So where was Remy, and why did she call? He leaned against the island in the kitchen and looked out the window. She either would have called or snuck into his room; depending on the scale of the argument she had with her parents that night.
Sure Ephram had his full scale screaming matches with his dad, but he usually understood where he was coming from. With Remy and her parents it was like they enjoyed yelling at each other. They liked know they had the upper hand, knowing which buttons to push to get the largest reaction; her father especially. Remy and her father had an unspoken rule that a few topics weren't to be spoken about, the two major ones were her mother and the whole baby issue and Ephram's mom. When her father broke that rule Remy was heartbroken. Everyone knew that wasn't fair.
Why couldn't her father just love her for what she was? Ephram thought to himself. Remy was a good kid, other than the sarcastic, flirtatious law breaker but that was only a small side to her. Remy loved her parents, especially her mom, even if she screamed that hated them both, which Ephram had seen more times than he could count. Even if every door was slammed in their face; even if she cussed at them and snuck out; she truly loved them. How could she not? But sometimes, as Ephram watched her father yell at her, he could tell some of the things he said he meant.
He remembered a few weeks before his mom died, Remy had another blow out with her father. He remembered seeing her sit with his mother on his parent's bed and her face seemed like stone. After that fight Remy didn't crack a smile for weeks and after his mom was gone, Remy was the same way, like barely alive. Remy wasn't actually there. Remy later told him that the last piece of advice his mom gave her was to always be herself: even if someone doesn't like it. You will be less happy if you conform to what other people want or expect. Ephram lived his life by that now; or at least tried to.
He sighed. But he still expected that call from Remy. So when the phone rang abruptly his heart skipped a beat. He slid across the hardwood floor and almost crashed into the wall and quickly checked the call display. "Abbott." He murmured to himself. Remy was probably staying the night there because it was closer.
He picked up the phone. "Hey Rem." He smiled. "Bright? What's wrong, you sound panicked." He said into the phone frowning. "Yea. . . I'll be at her house in a minute. Thanks for telling me."
Ephram slammed the receiver back on the holder and walked his way to the front door grabbing his coat and slipping on his shoes. "Dad I'm going over to Remy's. I'll be back in the morning." He called as he slammed the door. Nothing was going to stop him. Remy was there when he needed her now he was going to be there for her; just returning the favour.
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A/N: Yup, lots of thoughts. I just thought that it would be kind of interesting to do something like that. But whatever, this was mainly fluff. The action is going to start next chapter I swear. And Remy isn't going to run away from her parents' house because well she doesn't have anyplace to go, and Everwood is a pretty small place so I figure they would probably find her pretty quickly, besides I already have an OC story about a runaway so I don't want to do that again. Anyways Review because . . . uhhhh. REVIEW!!! : )
~TOODLES!