The next morning while getting ready for class, Bright kept asking Ephram questions, "dude! Leah told me that you were out with Madison all night! What's going on? How she doin? When'd you get home last night, dude?"
Ephram took a deep breath, "stop it Bright, I don't want to talk about it. Its still a little weird, you know…I still cant process any of this, its overwhelming, blows my mind…First loves never go away, not completely and yesterday…Well…lets just say…um…I don't know…the feeling came back 10 fold, like a tidelwave…" he breathed deeply, his mind still racing as he walked out the door. He tried avoiding everybody throughout the day, hid in the music room and walked around campus by himself until he thought it safe to go back to his room where nobody would ask him any questions.
Before his first night class on Friday he decided to stop by the library to visit Myka and Leah but thought against it when he saw them sitting with Madison. Before he could leave without trying to get caught, Madison caught up to him, "hey you…are you avoiding me?"
"Well…um…I'm purposely trying to avoid everybody. I mean, Leah and Myka and Bright…they want to know what's going on but I don't even know myself what is going on right now, things are happening so fast and I cant process it all, its just so overwhelming to the point where I just cant handle it."
"Ephram slow down! What are you talking about?"
"You, Madison, I'm talking about you!"
"Oh, I get it now."
"What do you get? I don't even get what I'm trying to say…" he replied slowly
"Leah and Myka told me what's been going on. Bright tells them."
"Oh, so now you're talking to my friends about me?"
"Ephram, its only because I want to know what's going on with you since you wont talk to me. You've managed to avoid me for the passed two days. It's the only way I can know what you're up to." They walked passed the lounge, "sit with me" replied Madison grabbing his arm and leading him to the couch. As they sat down, Ephram took off his hat and started playing with it.
"Ephram, I never stopped thinking about you."
"Join the club" he replied, not looking up from his hat.
"Tell me how you feel, please?"
He took a deep breath then finally looked up towards Madison, "I am so sorry I pushed you away almost 3 years ago…I never thought I'd ever see you again, but when I saw you for the first time a few days ago I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think…I was just so overwhelmed, those old feelings came over me like a tidelwave and I couldn't handle it, thus the whole ignoring issue…" He swallowed hard, not sure what to say next. "I want you back in my life, Madison, I do, even if its just as friends but I'm afraid that I might push you away again…" He looked away out of desperation, not sure of what to say next as he sighed.
"Ephram…" Madison said softly, touching his arm, "I wont let you push me away this time…" He looked at her with thoughtful eyes. They got up and walked to their night class together.
When their classes ended, they talked for a little while longer then gave each other a meaningful, loving hug before going their separate ways for the night. Before they did, however, Ephram said softly, "Lets catch a movie tomorrow night?"
Madison smiled, "alright"
"It will be our first official date."
He smiled to himself as he made his way back to his room where Leah and Bright were waiting to interrogate him about his night. "Spill it boy!" cried Leah as she tackled him when he shut the door to his room. She was giggly throughout the whole conversation, she was happy to see Ephram happy. He told them about the conversation with Madison and how they are going to have a date tomorrow night. "I'm still in awe from this whole situation…"
"Want me to go the movies with you? Bright and I could be Star and Hull…I mean…" Leah smiled out of confusion
Bright laughed, "Starsky and Hutch!"
"You two crack me up, but seriously…no. I think it will be good for just the two of us to figure things out, see where we stand, if at all, you know." he took off his hat and threw it on his computer desk. The three talked for a little while longer before Leah got up to leave. "Stop by the caf tomorrow, Ephy, I'll give ya free fries!" she laughed as she shut the door behind her.
Bright smiled, "and you say she only acts that way when she doesn't take her meds? That's like, all the time!"
Ephram chuckled as he got ready for bed, nervous about the day ahead of him, nervous about the date with Madison, possibly rekindling an old flame.
