[A/N: Hee hee hee, new chapter. Hope you like it.]
Chapter 3: Dates And Panic
"Ephram! Get off the phone!" Evan screamed up the stairs.
Ephram walked out of the kitchen and stood right behind his brother. "No," Evan jumped not knowing Ephram was downstairs. "I'm having an actual conversation with some one. If I gave you the phone you just call up one of your stupid phone so you could talk about football and other pointless things."
Evan glared at Ephram. "First, my friends are not stupid. Second, I was going to call Amy. And third, who are you talking too?"
"Wendell."
"Oh, that's an actual conversation? You guys are probably talking about Playstaiton or something like that."
Ephram looked at his brother. "Shut up." Turning back to the phone he still had in his hand he said, "No, I wasn't talking to you. Listen I have to go. I'll call you later. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Bye."
Ephram hung up the phone then tossed the portable to Evan. "Here. But make it quick, I have to call him back." Ephram headed up the stairs towards his room.
"God you act like you're going out with him," Evan mumbled.
"I heard that!" Ephram called down the stairs.
"What's Amy's number?"
"Try 411."
"But you know it."
"But I don't want to tell you."
"I hate you."
After spending twenty minutes trying to convince the 411 operator that there was a town called Everwood, and that there was an Abbott family in it, Evan gave up and decided to look through the phone book. That was before he realized that the only phone books in the house were from Denver and New York.
"Ephram! I need Amy's number."
"Too bad," Ephram said coming to the top of the stairs.
"God, what is your problem?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth the phone rang. "Hello?"
"Hi. Is Evan there? It's Amy." Amy was so nervous about calling Evan. She really liked him, but she was friends with his brother and her boyfriend had died over the summer. It didn't seem right, and yet at the same time, it did.
"Oh hey Amy." Ephram rolled his eyes and disappeared from view, heading towards his room. "I was just about to call you. Well actually I've been trying to find your number for the last half hour. Apparently my family doesn't believe in new phone books. And according to 411 there is no Everwood, Colorado."
Amy laughed. "Yeah, that happens a lot."
"Well, I was just going to call to see if you wanted to go to get some dinner at the diner tonight."
"That would be great. But I can't do it tonight. I promised my mom I'd help her with some stuff around the house. Can we do it tomorrow?"
"Yeah that would be great. So I'll come by your house tomorrow at… 7?"
"Great."
"Perfect. I'll see you then."
After hanging up Evan practically floated up to his room. He sat down on his bed, but didn't stay there long. After a moment he got up a got his guitar out of the stand in his closet. He began to idly run his fingers over the strings; he was trying to remember the tune to a song he had learned long ago. It was a song from Les Miserables, but it had been so long since he had heard it he was unsure of the tune. He didn't know why he had thought of this song at this moment, because he was happy, and the song was so sad, but when you get an inspiration you have to follow it. Suddenly his fingers took over and began to play. A moment later Ephram walked past the room, and hearing the sad music stopped in the doorway.
"Empty chairs at empty tables. Good song. From a good play too. But it's awfully sad. I mean everyone dies. Well, except Marius and Cosette. What happened? Amy turn you down?"
"No, I have a date with her tomorrow. I don't know why I'm playing this. It was a strange inspiration. But you're right it is a good play. I remember when they did it back at our school in New York freshman year. The barricade was interesting with all that painted furniture just thrown together."
"I helped make that barricade."
"I know. It was cool looking, but really weird. But that's not the point."
"What is the point?"
"I have a date with Amy."
"That's… wonderful. So you're off the phone?"
"Yeah. And before you ask, the portable is downstairs."
"Wh-"
"Living room, on top of the TV."
"Thanks."
Ephram went downstairs, picked up the phone, and dialed Wendell's number.
"Hello?" It was Wendell's voice on the other line.
"Wendell, I think he figured it out."
*****
[A/N: That's it for now. I know I left it on a cliffhanger, but you're going to have deal with it. I hope you guys liked it. Feedback is always welcome. As is CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.]