Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, the town, or it's characters. I'm just a
college student.
Chapter 16 uses "Roses from my friends" by Ben Harper
Chapter 16: Roses from my friends
"Just how much more juvenile can you get, Bright?" Amy asked her brother as he sat on the floor slurping mountain dew.
"Much more, watch me," he said getting up and turning off the lights.
"This would normally rule," Ephram said as he held Amy, "but with everyone else here it just kinda sucks," Amy kissed him on the cheek.
"Alright, let's get this party started," Bright said rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"I'm up for this," Tommy said, trying to remain neutral and get in Bright's good graces.
"Excellent, my man, excellent. Maybe this guy DOES know what he's talking about," Bright said slapping Tommy on the back. Ephram sighed heavily and Amy rolled her eyes.
"Okay, I say Amy goes first," Tommy said.
"Why are you so eager for her to go?" Ephram shot back at Tommy immediately.
"Ephram, chill out, bud. Ladies first, that's all," Bright said in all seriousness.
"Okay, who's asking her the question then?" Ephram said trying to get into the game as best he could, or make good out of a bad situation as best he could.
"Not you," Bright said laughing, "you'll ask her something really easy,"
"So? I love her," he said. Amy blushed.
"Awww, that's so sweet Ephram,"
"Oh can we just NOT," Bright said making gagging sounds. Tommy laughed. "I'll ask her the question, she is after all my sister," Bright said pointing to himself.
"Fine, let's just get this over with," Amy said sighing.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"I could have treated you better
But you couldn't have treated me worse
But it's he who laughs last
Is he who cries first
Sometimes I feel I know strangers
Better than I know my friends
Why must a beginning
Be the means to an end"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
"Okay, here goes. Amy," he said clapping his hands together, "Truth or dare?" he asked then snickered.
"If we're going to continue this can you please not sound like a ten year old girl?" Amy asked laughing.
"Shut up, that's my laugh," he said defensively. The rest laughed and Bright eventually did too. "Fine, now. Truth or dare?"
"Truth," she said with confidence.
"Did you sleep with Colin?" Bright asked trying to stay serious.
"a.k.a am I a virgin, right?" she asked angrily.
"I guess," Bright said.
"Well No," she responded as Bright gasped.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The roses from my friends"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
Amy's face widened, "I never slept with Colin."
Bright laughed, relieved. "I thought you meant you weren't a . . ."
"Yeah, we get it Bright," Tommy said. "Ephram's next, he's the youngest one after Amy," Ephram rolled his eyes.
"And I'll ask him the question," Amy said. Ephram shifted and adjusted where he was sitting, pulling her closer to him, her back leaning against his chest.
"Go ahead," he said, his heart speeding up.
"Truth or dare, then?" Amy said sweetly.
"Truth," he said casually, as if were not big deal.
"Did you sleep with Madison?" This struck the wrong chord in Ephram. He certainly didn't want to talk about Madison, he was angry with her, and the question was a bit different than when they asked Amy because Madison's still alive.
"Yes." Ephram said and his head fell, "Yes, I slept with Madison,"
"You DID?" Amy asked shocked.
"Psych!" Ephram said tickling her. "No I never slept with Madison." He said more seriously now. Amy was happy but fake punched him just the same.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
"When the last word has been spoken
(And) we've beared witness to the final setting sun
All that shall remains is a token
Of what we've said and done
When all we've had has been forsaken
Distant church bells no longer ring
That's the sound of a heart taken
And the story of tears from a king"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"I'm asking Tommy's question so Ephram can't," Bright said smartly.
"What's wrong with Ephram's questions?" Amy asked innocently.
"He'd dare him to jump out in front of a moving car or something," Bright explained nodding, then taking another swig of his mountain dew. Ephram nodded.
"He's right," Ephram said looking at Bright and patting Tommy on the shoulder.
"Truth or dare?" Bright asked.
"Dare," he said. Everyone looked shocked. "What? No one else was going to," he added, laughing.
"I dare you to . . ." he paused, scratching his chin, "I dare you to kiss Amy,"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````
"The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The roses from my friends"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
"Oh HELL no!" Ephram said standing up, "I object!"
"This isn't Judge Judy, pal. It's a dare, he has to take it," Bright explained.
"Um . . . this is kind of awkward," Tommy admitted.
"Yeah, Bright, that was a really jerky dare you picked," Amy said nervously.
"Well does it have to be in here?" Tommy asked.
"YES! YES it DOES!" Ephram said angrily. Amy squeezed his hand and then stepped away from him, moving towards Tommy now.
The room was dark, sound tracked only by Ephram's angry puffs of breath. To be jealous was one thing, but this was ridiculous.
Tommy gave Amy a quick kiss. Their lips were the only parts of them that touched no hands or arms.
"Longer," Bright said.
"No one set a time limit," Ephram reminded him.
"I'm in charge here, and I say longer," Bright said.
"Fine," Ephram said through gritted teeth.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"This may be the last time I see you
Forgive me for holding you close
This may be the last time I see you
So of this moment I will make the most
This may be the last time I see you
But if you keep me in your heart
Together we shall be eternal
If you believe we shall never part"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
Tommy cupped Amy's face in his hands and gently kissed her. It wasn't extremely long, but long enough to make them uncomfortable. Amy pulled away then turned to Ephram and smiled. She moved to kiss him and he turned his cheek.
"What the hell, sweetie?" she asked, immediately knowing what the problem was.
"I don't want your lips on mine after you kissed him,"
"That's kind of an asshole thing to say!" Tommy said defensively.
"HA! Well you would know ALL about being an ASSHOLE now wouldn't you?" Ephram asked intensely.
"This is about the craziest truth or dare I've ever played," Bright said now finishing his soda and burping.
"God, MANNERS!" Amy said throwing a pillow at him. "I should be killing YOU right now after what you've done tonight," she said at her brother.
"Well, I think we're finished here," Bright said getting up, feeling angry eyes on him.
"Oh no," Ephram said pushing him back down, "It's YOUR turn now, big guy," he patted him on the head. "And guess who gets to ask the question?" he said pushing down on his head until it hurt. He lowered his face so it was level with Bright's, "That's right! ME!" Bright pulled his head away from Ephram's grip.
"Truth or dare?" Ephram asked, voice sounding both wounded and full of rage.
"Truth," he responded.
"See, I told you I'd be the only who picked Dare . . . I . . ." Tommy started then backed down after they all shot angry glances at him. "I'll just be quiet now."
"Okay BRIGHT." He said pausing for effect, then pacing around the room. "Why the HELL would you make Tommy do a dare like that in front of me? No, why would you make him do it at all? I thought you were my friend!" he said now almost starting to cry from all the emotions built up inside of him.
Bright stood there waiting to respond as Tommy now found a spot in the corner to sit. Amy broke down in silent tears and landed on the couch.
"Answer me" Ephram said quietly.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````
"The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
I cannot survive
Oh- I cannot survive
The roses from my friends"
Chapter 16 uses "Roses from my friends" by Ben Harper
Chapter 16: Roses from my friends
"Just how much more juvenile can you get, Bright?" Amy asked her brother as he sat on the floor slurping mountain dew.
"Much more, watch me," he said getting up and turning off the lights.
"This would normally rule," Ephram said as he held Amy, "but with everyone else here it just kinda sucks," Amy kissed him on the cheek.
"Alright, let's get this party started," Bright said rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"I'm up for this," Tommy said, trying to remain neutral and get in Bright's good graces.
"Excellent, my man, excellent. Maybe this guy DOES know what he's talking about," Bright said slapping Tommy on the back. Ephram sighed heavily and Amy rolled her eyes.
"Okay, I say Amy goes first," Tommy said.
"Why are you so eager for her to go?" Ephram shot back at Tommy immediately.
"Ephram, chill out, bud. Ladies first, that's all," Bright said in all seriousness.
"Okay, who's asking her the question then?" Ephram said trying to get into the game as best he could, or make good out of a bad situation as best he could.
"Not you," Bright said laughing, "you'll ask her something really easy,"
"So? I love her," he said. Amy blushed.
"Awww, that's so sweet Ephram,"
"Oh can we just NOT," Bright said making gagging sounds. Tommy laughed. "I'll ask her the question, she is after all my sister," Bright said pointing to himself.
"Fine, let's just get this over with," Amy said sighing.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"I could have treated you better
But you couldn't have treated me worse
But it's he who laughs last
Is he who cries first
Sometimes I feel I know strangers
Better than I know my friends
Why must a beginning
Be the means to an end"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
"Okay, here goes. Amy," he said clapping his hands together, "Truth or dare?" he asked then snickered.
"If we're going to continue this can you please not sound like a ten year old girl?" Amy asked laughing.
"Shut up, that's my laugh," he said defensively. The rest laughed and Bright eventually did too. "Fine, now. Truth or dare?"
"Truth," she said with confidence.
"Did you sleep with Colin?" Bright asked trying to stay serious.
"a.k.a am I a virgin, right?" she asked angrily.
"I guess," Bright said.
"Well No," she responded as Bright gasped.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The roses from my friends"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
Amy's face widened, "I never slept with Colin."
Bright laughed, relieved. "I thought you meant you weren't a . . ."
"Yeah, we get it Bright," Tommy said. "Ephram's next, he's the youngest one after Amy," Ephram rolled his eyes.
"And I'll ask him the question," Amy said. Ephram shifted and adjusted where he was sitting, pulling her closer to him, her back leaning against his chest.
"Go ahead," he said, his heart speeding up.
"Truth or dare, then?" Amy said sweetly.
"Truth," he said casually, as if were not big deal.
"Did you sleep with Madison?" This struck the wrong chord in Ephram. He certainly didn't want to talk about Madison, he was angry with her, and the question was a bit different than when they asked Amy because Madison's still alive.
"Yes." Ephram said and his head fell, "Yes, I slept with Madison,"
"You DID?" Amy asked shocked.
"Psych!" Ephram said tickling her. "No I never slept with Madison." He said more seriously now. Amy was happy but fake punched him just the same.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
"When the last word has been spoken
(And) we've beared witness to the final setting sun
All that shall remains is a token
Of what we've said and done
When all we've had has been forsaken
Distant church bells no longer ring
That's the sound of a heart taken
And the story of tears from a king"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"I'm asking Tommy's question so Ephram can't," Bright said smartly.
"What's wrong with Ephram's questions?" Amy asked innocently.
"He'd dare him to jump out in front of a moving car or something," Bright explained nodding, then taking another swig of his mountain dew. Ephram nodded.
"He's right," Ephram said looking at Bright and patting Tommy on the shoulder.
"Truth or dare?" Bright asked.
"Dare," he said. Everyone looked shocked. "What? No one else was going to," he added, laughing.
"I dare you to . . ." he paused, scratching his chin, "I dare you to kiss Amy,"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````
"The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The roses from my friends"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````
"Oh HELL no!" Ephram said standing up, "I object!"
"This isn't Judge Judy, pal. It's a dare, he has to take it," Bright explained.
"Um . . . this is kind of awkward," Tommy admitted.
"Yeah, Bright, that was a really jerky dare you picked," Amy said nervously.
"Well does it have to be in here?" Tommy asked.
"YES! YES it DOES!" Ephram said angrily. Amy squeezed his hand and then stepped away from him, moving towards Tommy now.
The room was dark, sound tracked only by Ephram's angry puffs of breath. To be jealous was one thing, but this was ridiculous.
Tommy gave Amy a quick kiss. Their lips were the only parts of them that touched no hands or arms.
"Longer," Bright said.
"No one set a time limit," Ephram reminded him.
"I'm in charge here, and I say longer," Bright said.
"Fine," Ephram said through gritted teeth.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"This may be the last time I see you
Forgive me for holding you close
This may be the last time I see you
So of this moment I will make the most
This may be the last time I see you
But if you keep me in your heart
Together we shall be eternal
If you believe we shall never part"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
Tommy cupped Amy's face in his hands and gently kissed her. It wasn't extremely long, but long enough to make them uncomfortable. Amy pulled away then turned to Ephram and smiled. She moved to kiss him and he turned his cheek.
"What the hell, sweetie?" she asked, immediately knowing what the problem was.
"I don't want your lips on mine after you kissed him,"
"That's kind of an asshole thing to say!" Tommy said defensively.
"HA! Well you would know ALL about being an ASSHOLE now wouldn't you?" Ephram asked intensely.
"This is about the craziest truth or dare I've ever played," Bright said now finishing his soda and burping.
"God, MANNERS!" Amy said throwing a pillow at him. "I should be killing YOU right now after what you've done tonight," she said at her brother.
"Well, I think we're finished here," Bright said getting up, feeling angry eyes on him.
"Oh no," Ephram said pushing him back down, "It's YOUR turn now, big guy," he patted him on the head. "And guess who gets to ask the question?" he said pushing down on his head until it hurt. He lowered his face so it was level with Bright's, "That's right! ME!" Bright pulled his head away from Ephram's grip.
"Truth or dare?" Ephram asked, voice sounding both wounded and full of rage.
"Truth," he responded.
"See, I told you I'd be the only who picked Dare . . . I . . ." Tommy started then backed down after they all shot angry glances at him. "I'll just be quiet now."
"Okay BRIGHT." He said pausing for effect, then pacing around the room. "Why the HELL would you make Tommy do a dare like that in front of me? No, why would you make him do it at all? I thought you were my friend!" he said now almost starting to cry from all the emotions built up inside of him.
Bright stood there waiting to respond as Tommy now found a spot in the corner to sit. Amy broke down in silent tears and landed on the couch.
"Answer me" Ephram said quietly.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````
"The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
I cannot survive
Oh- I cannot survive
The roses from my friends"