A morning dove's cry echoed softly in the cold Colorado wind. Glowing rays
of sun trickled through the clouds, making the snow sparkle and glisten.
Ephram slightly stirred, opening his eyes to find he was not only on a
cliff overlooking Everwood, but he wasn't alone. Lying next to him was
Jesse, curled up with wild hair strung everywhere. Her eyes slowly flipped
open, still filled with sleep.
"Hey stranger," Jesse spoke softly, "Literally."
"Hey yourself," Ephram smiled, sitting up, "Wow, you gotta see this view."
"A classic Everwood sunrise at the ridge," Jesse stated, "Which usually means one of to things, either the ending to a great night, or the beginning of a very long grounding. But at least I had a good time."
"Me too," Ephram nodded, "Honestly, I'm glad I met you."
"You too," Jesse smirked, "Well, I better be getting home, even if my ass is grass."
"Yeah me too," Ephram laughed, "Want a ride?"
"No thanks, I think I'll walk," Jesse pondered.
"But it's like a 45 minute walk," Ephram pointed out.
"Yeah, I know," Jesse nodded, "Thanks by the way."
"For what?" Ephram inquired, standing up.
"Listening," Jesse smiled, "It meant a lot to me. Well, I better be on my way. See you soon." And with that, all Ephram could see was her image retreating into the distance.
***
It was just like Jesse to do this, Erin thought to herself. Maybe a year away hadn't done her much good in the long run, underneath all the eyeliner and attitude she was still Jesse.
"Oh Jess, what am I going to do with you?" Erin said to herself as she threw another cup into the trash bag in her hand. Ever since the incident their parents had devoted themselves to work. Even their mother who had always been a housewife started working for a series of charities and organizations that "conveniently" ate up all her time. And their father, well, he had never been a workaholic, but after everything happened, he took a position as director of the cooperation he was working for, meaning frequent and lengthy business trips overseas. Now everyone expected Erin to raise the family. Well, besides for Tyler, who was only 8, no one really needed much raising. Jason was already away at college, just beginning his sophomore year, and Jesse, as independent as ever, wasn't going to take much parenting. Or so she thought.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Jesse, yelled as she burst through the front door.
"Late?" Erin looked at her younger sister grimly, "An hour, maybe two hours, is late. But being gone all night? That's a whole different story."
"I said I was sorry," Jesse shrugged, "Why would you care anyways? You never used to."
"That's not true," Erin shot back quickly, "But now I'm responsible for you. Do you realize that mom and dad handed over their guardianship over you, to me? So technically, I'm the only parent you've got, and I'm not going to let you get yourself into trouble, just so I can be "the fun sister"."
"Erin, I can take care of myself," Jesse replied softly, "You don't need to be worrying about me every minute of every day. I'll be fine."
"That's what Rachel always said," Erin sighed, "And she's not fine now, is she?"
"You know that if I have a problem, I'll come to you," Jesse quickly changed the subject, "But until then, I'm going to need some space."
"I'll give you as much space as I can, but your still a clueless teenager, meaning you're going to need me sooner or later," Erin responded, folding her arms tightly against her chest, "Now I suggest you get upstairs and change, because the place better be spotless when I get back."
"Where are you going anyways?" Jesse asked, as she reluctantly moved towards the stairs.
"I have a job interview and then I have to go to Tyler's hockey game," Erin answered, "You know, you should go. It would mean a lot to your little brother."
"Ok, I'll try to make it," Jesse responded quickly, not turning to see the disappointed look on her sister's face.
***
"So where were you last night?" Madison asked her boyfriend as he joined her in the kitchen.
"I went to a party," Ephram replied, "And then I just ended up staying out all night." He lied, figuring Madison wouldn't be pleased to know he was with a girl all night, even if it was totally innocent.
"Oh ok," Madison nodded, "So later I'm going to see the band, you should stop by and hear the new song I wrote." "Sure, I'll be there," Ephram smiled, as he grabbed a coffee cup out of the cupboard and filled it with coffee.
"Alright," Madison said before giving Ephram a quick kiss, "I'll see you later."
"Bye," Ephram shouted to her as she continued on her way out of the house. For some reason, being around her after being out all night with Jesse, made him feel exceptionally nervous. Could she tell? No, of course not. It's not like anything happened anyways.
***
Jesse flopped down on her bed, exhausted from the hours of cleaning. She was obviously bummed out, and missing San Deigo. Everwood was great, but the people...well...she could do with out them. Suddenly, memories of the night before had crept into her mind. She couldn't help but smile to herself. After ditching the party, she and Ephram had headed over to Mama Joy's for coffee, and then drove up to "Overlook Peak". They had talked for hours, about everything, and oddly, she never felt weird about telling so many things to a total stranger. But then again, Ephram didn't seem like a stranger at all. In some weird way, it felt like they had some mutual understanding of each other. Whatever it was, Jesse liked it.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the phone began to ring madly off the hook.
"Ok, I'm coming," Jesse yelled, as she hastily hopped off her bed, and ran to the phone in the kitchen.
"Hello?" She said into the receiver, as she leaned against the counter.
"Hey, Jess, how are you?" Jesse instantly recognized her older brother's voice.
"I'm fine, and you?" She inquired, glancing out the window at the bare, spindly trees.
"Good. Hey, are you busy?" Jason asked, hopefully.
"No, actually," Jesse responded, "Why?"
"Well, right now I'm at a practice session with my band, and I was hopeing you could give me a ride back, because my car won't start," Jason explained.
"Sure, I'll be there as soon as possible," Jesse promised.
"Thanks sis, I love you," Jason told his baby sister.
"Love you to, Jay," Jesse laughed, before clicking the phone off.
***
Jesse slowly pulled up into the driveway off the house she knew her brother would be at. 3 or 4 cars were parked in the driveway, and at the curb, and she could hear the music bursting out of the garage. She pushed the door to the garage open just as the band finished the song.
"Hey guys," Jesse greeted the band members, remembering all of them. Jay had been apart of the band for nearly 3 years.
"Hey Jesse!" The lead singer, Madison yelled. Madison and Jay had an on- again-off-again relationship, and Jesse had always gotten along with Madison (even when Jay hadn't).
"Hi Madison," Jesse waved, "How are you?"
"Great, and you?" Madison asked, happily.
"I'm good," Jesse nodded, "So Jay, you ready to go?"
"Almost, I just need to pack up," Jay answered, "I'll meet you by the car in about ten minutes."
"Okay," Jesse replied, heading for the door.
"Wait!" Madison called, catching up to Jesse, "I really want you to meet my new boyfriend."
"Oh, you and Jay broke up?" Jesse questioned, trying her best to sound surprised.
"Yeah," Madison sighed, and looked away, "Oh here he is." Jesse heard a car door slam, and followed Madison outside.
"Hey," Madison called to the guy who got out of the car. Jesse looked up, and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Ephram, "Oh, Ephram, this is Jesse. Jesse, this is my boyfriend Ephram."
"Hi," Jesse smiled comically, as Ephram glanced at her nervously, "I don't believe we've met."
A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Just 4 to 5 more, and there will be another chap!
"Hey stranger," Jesse spoke softly, "Literally."
"Hey yourself," Ephram smiled, sitting up, "Wow, you gotta see this view."
"A classic Everwood sunrise at the ridge," Jesse stated, "Which usually means one of to things, either the ending to a great night, or the beginning of a very long grounding. But at least I had a good time."
"Me too," Ephram nodded, "Honestly, I'm glad I met you."
"You too," Jesse smirked, "Well, I better be getting home, even if my ass is grass."
"Yeah me too," Ephram laughed, "Want a ride?"
"No thanks, I think I'll walk," Jesse pondered.
"But it's like a 45 minute walk," Ephram pointed out.
"Yeah, I know," Jesse nodded, "Thanks by the way."
"For what?" Ephram inquired, standing up.
"Listening," Jesse smiled, "It meant a lot to me. Well, I better be on my way. See you soon." And with that, all Ephram could see was her image retreating into the distance.
***
It was just like Jesse to do this, Erin thought to herself. Maybe a year away hadn't done her much good in the long run, underneath all the eyeliner and attitude she was still Jesse.
"Oh Jess, what am I going to do with you?" Erin said to herself as she threw another cup into the trash bag in her hand. Ever since the incident their parents had devoted themselves to work. Even their mother who had always been a housewife started working for a series of charities and organizations that "conveniently" ate up all her time. And their father, well, he had never been a workaholic, but after everything happened, he took a position as director of the cooperation he was working for, meaning frequent and lengthy business trips overseas. Now everyone expected Erin to raise the family. Well, besides for Tyler, who was only 8, no one really needed much raising. Jason was already away at college, just beginning his sophomore year, and Jesse, as independent as ever, wasn't going to take much parenting. Or so she thought.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Jesse, yelled as she burst through the front door.
"Late?" Erin looked at her younger sister grimly, "An hour, maybe two hours, is late. But being gone all night? That's a whole different story."
"I said I was sorry," Jesse shrugged, "Why would you care anyways? You never used to."
"That's not true," Erin shot back quickly, "But now I'm responsible for you. Do you realize that mom and dad handed over their guardianship over you, to me? So technically, I'm the only parent you've got, and I'm not going to let you get yourself into trouble, just so I can be "the fun sister"."
"Erin, I can take care of myself," Jesse replied softly, "You don't need to be worrying about me every minute of every day. I'll be fine."
"That's what Rachel always said," Erin sighed, "And she's not fine now, is she?"
"You know that if I have a problem, I'll come to you," Jesse quickly changed the subject, "But until then, I'm going to need some space."
"I'll give you as much space as I can, but your still a clueless teenager, meaning you're going to need me sooner or later," Erin responded, folding her arms tightly against her chest, "Now I suggest you get upstairs and change, because the place better be spotless when I get back."
"Where are you going anyways?" Jesse asked, as she reluctantly moved towards the stairs.
"I have a job interview and then I have to go to Tyler's hockey game," Erin answered, "You know, you should go. It would mean a lot to your little brother."
"Ok, I'll try to make it," Jesse responded quickly, not turning to see the disappointed look on her sister's face.
***
"So where were you last night?" Madison asked her boyfriend as he joined her in the kitchen.
"I went to a party," Ephram replied, "And then I just ended up staying out all night." He lied, figuring Madison wouldn't be pleased to know he was with a girl all night, even if it was totally innocent.
"Oh ok," Madison nodded, "So later I'm going to see the band, you should stop by and hear the new song I wrote." "Sure, I'll be there," Ephram smiled, as he grabbed a coffee cup out of the cupboard and filled it with coffee.
"Alright," Madison said before giving Ephram a quick kiss, "I'll see you later."
"Bye," Ephram shouted to her as she continued on her way out of the house. For some reason, being around her after being out all night with Jesse, made him feel exceptionally nervous. Could she tell? No, of course not. It's not like anything happened anyways.
***
Jesse flopped down on her bed, exhausted from the hours of cleaning. She was obviously bummed out, and missing San Deigo. Everwood was great, but the people...well...she could do with out them. Suddenly, memories of the night before had crept into her mind. She couldn't help but smile to herself. After ditching the party, she and Ephram had headed over to Mama Joy's for coffee, and then drove up to "Overlook Peak". They had talked for hours, about everything, and oddly, she never felt weird about telling so many things to a total stranger. But then again, Ephram didn't seem like a stranger at all. In some weird way, it felt like they had some mutual understanding of each other. Whatever it was, Jesse liked it.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the phone began to ring madly off the hook.
"Ok, I'm coming," Jesse yelled, as she hastily hopped off her bed, and ran to the phone in the kitchen.
"Hello?" She said into the receiver, as she leaned against the counter.
"Hey, Jess, how are you?" Jesse instantly recognized her older brother's voice.
"I'm fine, and you?" She inquired, glancing out the window at the bare, spindly trees.
"Good. Hey, are you busy?" Jason asked, hopefully.
"No, actually," Jesse responded, "Why?"
"Well, right now I'm at a practice session with my band, and I was hopeing you could give me a ride back, because my car won't start," Jason explained.
"Sure, I'll be there as soon as possible," Jesse promised.
"Thanks sis, I love you," Jason told his baby sister.
"Love you to, Jay," Jesse laughed, before clicking the phone off.
***
Jesse slowly pulled up into the driveway off the house she knew her brother would be at. 3 or 4 cars were parked in the driveway, and at the curb, and she could hear the music bursting out of the garage. She pushed the door to the garage open just as the band finished the song.
"Hey guys," Jesse greeted the band members, remembering all of them. Jay had been apart of the band for nearly 3 years.
"Hey Jesse!" The lead singer, Madison yelled. Madison and Jay had an on- again-off-again relationship, and Jesse had always gotten along with Madison (even when Jay hadn't).
"Hi Madison," Jesse waved, "How are you?"
"Great, and you?" Madison asked, happily.
"I'm good," Jesse nodded, "So Jay, you ready to go?"
"Almost, I just need to pack up," Jay answered, "I'll meet you by the car in about ten minutes."
"Okay," Jesse replied, heading for the door.
"Wait!" Madison called, catching up to Jesse, "I really want you to meet my new boyfriend."
"Oh, you and Jay broke up?" Jesse questioned, trying her best to sound surprised.
"Yeah," Madison sighed, and looked away, "Oh here he is." Jesse heard a car door slam, and followed Madison outside.
"Hey," Madison called to the guy who got out of the car. Jesse looked up, and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Ephram, "Oh, Ephram, this is Jesse. Jesse, this is my boyfriend Ephram."
"Hi," Jesse smiled comically, as Ephram glanced at her nervously, "I don't believe we've met."
A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Just 4 to 5 more, and there will be another chap!