Soon it was Thursday, Ephram still hadn't asked his dad about dinner. Andy had calmed down a little but still needed to know where Ephram was every minute of every day. He had also not been eating dinner at home for the past week, unsure if Ephram was serious about the spitting in his food comment.
Ephram went down the stairs Thursday afternoon and found Madison watching cartoons with Delia in the family room.
Delia: Dad called...he wants you to call him...(not looking away from the TV)
Madison: Have you asked him yet?
Ephram: No...I was going to but-
An alarm went off in the kitchen.
Madison: That's the chicken...I'll be right back sweetie
She got up and walked into the kitchen, Ephram followed.
Madison: You have to ask him tonight... (as she pulled the chicken out of the oven)
Ephram: I know...but what if he says "no?"
Madison: Then I will talk to him...here (she handed him the phone) this is the perfect time...
Ephram: Why are you making dinner so early anyways?
Madison: I have to leave early tonight...study group, and don't try and stall, dial...
Ephram called Andy's cell phone.
Andy: Hello?
Ephram: Hey
Andy: Oh hi Ephram...where are you?
Ephram: Home
Andy: Ok... well I'll be home in about an hour...is your work all done?
Ephram: yeah...hey, can I go out to dinner with Madison tomorrow night?
Andy: Out where?
Ephram: Dinner
Andy: Dinner where?
Ephram: That new restaurant...by the video store...
Andy: Oh...what time?
Ephram: (covering up the phone and looking at Madison) what time?
Madison: 7
Ephram: (into the phone) 7
Andy: And what time will you be back?
Ephram: (again to Madison) what time will we be back?
Madison: I don't know...around 10-10:30
Ephram: (into the phone) 10:30
Andy: It takes 3 hours to eat dinner?
Ephram: (rolling his eyes) no, but we're not just eating...there's talking involved
Andy: You can talk now...
Ephram: Dad! Can I go or not?
Andy: Fine, but be back by 10:30...no later
Ephram: I know...10:30, on the dot
He was about to hang up when he looked at Madison who was mouthing "thanks" to him.
Ephram: And, thanks...
Andy: You're welcome...I don't want to regret this Ephram...
Ephram: You won't, bye
Andy: bye
They hung up.
Madison: See...I told you he'd come around...
Ephram: Yeah, but if I'm not home by 10:30 there's gonna be a search party out for me...
Madison: At least you get to go...
Ephram: yeah...so how fancy is this restaurant?
Madison: just a nice shirt and some slacks should do the trick...
Ephram: sounds good
He was about to walk out of the room when Madison purposely cleared her throat.
Ephram turned around confused.
Ephram: What?
Madison: Aren't you forgetting something?
Ephram: No, all my stuff is upstairs...(confused)
Madison: I don't know how I can make this any easier for you
Ephram: Make what easier? What are you talking about?
Madison walked over to him and softly kissed him.
Madison: That
Ephram: Well I was gonna to kiss you, but I was...playing hard to get
Madison: Uh huh...(she kissed him again)
Ephram: See? It worked...
They kissed again and Madison slipped her tongue in his mouth. Then the phone rang.
Ephram: (looked up at the ceiling) why?
Madison: (smiled as she reached for the phone) Hello? (holding it to her ear)
Jay: Madison? I was hoping you would pick up
Madison: Who is this?
Jay: It's Jay
Madison: How did you get this number?
Jay: I did some homework, listen-
Madison: Um...no
Jay: Just hear me out, ok?
Madison: No, why would you even call here?
Jay: I knew you wouldn't pick up your phone if you saw that it was me...
Madison: Don't call here again
She hung up on him.
Ephram: (curiously looked at her) who was that?
Madison: (shaking her head) Jay...I don't know how he got this number, I'm sorry
Ephram: How much longer do you expect me to take this? Do you know how hard it is for me to just sit here and do nothing about it?
Madison: Don't get mad...ok? There's nothing you or I can do about it...I've tried everything, he's like some sort of parasite that feeds off of rejection...
Ephram: (smiled at this comment) couldn't have said it better myself
Madison: Let's just forget about him...he's nobody
Ephram: A nobody with a great left jab...
Madison: (smiled and kissed him) ok well I have to get to the library...just warm up the chicken for like 10 minutes when you're ready to eat...there's a salad in the fridge
Ephram: Check
Madison: See you tomorrow (she kissed him) Bye Delia! (she yelled into the other room)
Delia: Bye (still not moving her gaze)
Madison left.
Ephram went down the stairs Thursday afternoon and found Madison watching cartoons with Delia in the family room.
Delia: Dad called...he wants you to call him...(not looking away from the TV)
Madison: Have you asked him yet?
Ephram: No...I was going to but-
An alarm went off in the kitchen.
Madison: That's the chicken...I'll be right back sweetie
She got up and walked into the kitchen, Ephram followed.
Madison: You have to ask him tonight... (as she pulled the chicken out of the oven)
Ephram: I know...but what if he says "no?"
Madison: Then I will talk to him...here (she handed him the phone) this is the perfect time...
Ephram: Why are you making dinner so early anyways?
Madison: I have to leave early tonight...study group, and don't try and stall, dial...
Ephram called Andy's cell phone.
Andy: Hello?
Ephram: Hey
Andy: Oh hi Ephram...where are you?
Ephram: Home
Andy: Ok... well I'll be home in about an hour...is your work all done?
Ephram: yeah...hey, can I go out to dinner with Madison tomorrow night?
Andy: Out where?
Ephram: Dinner
Andy: Dinner where?
Ephram: That new restaurant...by the video store...
Andy: Oh...what time?
Ephram: (covering up the phone and looking at Madison) what time?
Madison: 7
Ephram: (into the phone) 7
Andy: And what time will you be back?
Ephram: (again to Madison) what time will we be back?
Madison: I don't know...around 10-10:30
Ephram: (into the phone) 10:30
Andy: It takes 3 hours to eat dinner?
Ephram: (rolling his eyes) no, but we're not just eating...there's talking involved
Andy: You can talk now...
Ephram: Dad! Can I go or not?
Andy: Fine, but be back by 10:30...no later
Ephram: I know...10:30, on the dot
He was about to hang up when he looked at Madison who was mouthing "thanks" to him.
Ephram: And, thanks...
Andy: You're welcome...I don't want to regret this Ephram...
Ephram: You won't, bye
Andy: bye
They hung up.
Madison: See...I told you he'd come around...
Ephram: Yeah, but if I'm not home by 10:30 there's gonna be a search party out for me...
Madison: At least you get to go...
Ephram: yeah...so how fancy is this restaurant?
Madison: just a nice shirt and some slacks should do the trick...
Ephram: sounds good
He was about to walk out of the room when Madison purposely cleared her throat.
Ephram turned around confused.
Ephram: What?
Madison: Aren't you forgetting something?
Ephram: No, all my stuff is upstairs...(confused)
Madison: I don't know how I can make this any easier for you
Ephram: Make what easier? What are you talking about?
Madison walked over to him and softly kissed him.
Madison: That
Ephram: Well I was gonna to kiss you, but I was...playing hard to get
Madison: Uh huh...(she kissed him again)
Ephram: See? It worked...
They kissed again and Madison slipped her tongue in his mouth. Then the phone rang.
Ephram: (looked up at the ceiling) why?
Madison: (smiled as she reached for the phone) Hello? (holding it to her ear)
Jay: Madison? I was hoping you would pick up
Madison: Who is this?
Jay: It's Jay
Madison: How did you get this number?
Jay: I did some homework, listen-
Madison: Um...no
Jay: Just hear me out, ok?
Madison: No, why would you even call here?
Jay: I knew you wouldn't pick up your phone if you saw that it was me...
Madison: Don't call here again
She hung up on him.
Ephram: (curiously looked at her) who was that?
Madison: (shaking her head) Jay...I don't know how he got this number, I'm sorry
Ephram: How much longer do you expect me to take this? Do you know how hard it is for me to just sit here and do nothing about it?
Madison: Don't get mad...ok? There's nothing you or I can do about it...I've tried everything, he's like some sort of parasite that feeds off of rejection...
Ephram: (smiled at this comment) couldn't have said it better myself
Madison: Let's just forget about him...he's nobody
Ephram: A nobody with a great left jab...
Madison: (smiled and kissed him) ok well I have to get to the library...just warm up the chicken for like 10 minutes when you're ready to eat...there's a salad in the fridge
Ephram: Check
Madison: See you tomorrow (she kissed him) Bye Delia! (she yelled into the other room)
Delia: Bye (still not moving her gaze)
Madison left.