"So Amy, tell me about yourself." Brad requested.

"What is there to tell?" She smiled sheepishly.

"What are you planning for you life? What's going on right now, stuff like that."

"I was going to go to Princeton when I graduated last year, but stuff happened so I postponed my enrollment at least for this year. Nothing is really going on right now, I am just at home taking my year off."

"You say stuff, happened? Do you care to elaborate?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Not really," she blinked at sipped her water. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Amy finally gave in. "My mom has cancer and my brother and I are kind of home for moral support for both of my parents."

"Oh, that's sucks. I'm sorry I pushed it."

"Oh, no it's alright." She smiled politely.

"So, what about you? I don't know too much about you. Kinda just randomly met in a bedroom somewhere."

"I'm a senior at County, and I'm not sure where I'm going to go next fall or what I want to do but I have a few options in mind." He nodded.

"Why did you go to that party?" She asked the question she really wanted to know the answer to.

"You mean because I wasn't drinking?"

"Yeah." She blinked.

"I have nothing against drinkers, but it's not really my thing. I like control of my body to stay in my hands all night. I just came because some of my friends were there, although they weren't great friends or anything so actually that is a good question." He looked down and back up to her. His eyes seeming to try to catch hers as they darted around. "Maybe it was fate or something." He smiled.

She would have wanted to gag herself after that line if it wasn't delivered so sincerely. It was just sad. Her lap began to make an obnoxious noise a second later, and she realized it was her phone again.

"I'm sorry," she apologized pulling it out of her purse and looking at the screen. Her face contorted a little and she pressed the end button.

"Who was it?" He asked.

"No one," she replied smiling.
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"Hey, this is Amy Abbott and this is my message machine so leave a message and I'll call you back or something! Bye!"

He'd heard that more than a few times before.

"Amy, it's me. Just calling again to tell you that I'll be coming home next week. I guess you don't really want to talk to me, but I hope you listen to your messages. I'll be back in Denver on Wednesday afternoon. I hope we can talk soon, I," the machine cut him off,
"love you."

He sighed and dropped the phone back on hook.
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"Hey Ephram, man, what's up?" Bright answered the phone.

"Hey, Bright! Well, you know the usual brooding. You?" He asked.

"Good, doing well. Doing school, hanging out you know?"

"How's Hannah?"

"She's cool, we're cool. Still together if that's what you wanted to know."

"Just want to make sure she's doing well. That you're treating her right."

"When have I ever not? Come on Ephram, dude. Seriously, she's got me so whipped. You'd probably think I was so pathetic."

"Bright, I dated Amy. You've seen me. You've seen whipped."

"True. Whatever though, I like being whipped. It's safe, comfortable."

"Yeah. I get it."

"You really miss my sister, don't you?"

"Yeah. I don't think she's willing to take me back, but I need to come home and at least try to get her back. Coming here was a mistake."

"Dude, she's freaking out about you. She's so mixed up. Don't expect giggles and kisses okay?" Bright quipped.

"Yeah, I figured that Bright."

"So, what's the plan? I hear you're finally coming home then?" Bright bit into a carrot.

"Yeah, I'm coming home soon. Wednesday actually, I get to Denver in the afternoon." He replied.

"Dude, do you want me to come and get you or something? I totally could. I mean if you need a ride."

"Well, I was gonna take a cab, but if you're sure?"

"Totally, no problem," he reassured.

"Well, flight comes in at three."

"Excellent, we'll I'll see you then dude!"

"Thanks! Bye Bright."

"Popcorn's done!" Bright exclaimed bearing a bowl of popped corn as he entered the living room where he had left Hannah a few minutes ago.

"Who was on the phone?" She asked.

"An old friend," he replied
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It was dark when Brad pulled back up to the Abbott residence. The movie had been good.

"Tonight was fun Amy; we should do this again sometime soon." Brad smiled showing all his pearly whites. He certainly was a proper young gentleman. Amy wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

"Yeah it was."

"Can I call you?" He asked, forcing her to look at him.

"Yeah, here, I'll give you my number." She shuffled around in her purse for a pen. She took his left hand and wrote her number, with the pen across the top of his hand. "That's my cell." She added, placing the pen back in her purse and returning her attention to him.

"Great," he mumbled, placing one hand on her hip and one on her face. She had plenty of time to react but didn't, and was quite surprised when after ten or so seconds of him looking straight at her-his lips so close to hers-he kissed her. She didn't kiss back. He just placed a few gentle pecks on hers.

He stepped back and grabbed her hand, preparing to say goodnight.

"Goodnight, Amy." He smiled, satisfied with this night. He turned to leave but she didn't let go of his hand. "What's wrong?" He asked returning to her.

"Listen Brad, I don't feel like I gave you a fair chance and I'm sorry about that. All that stuff that went on that we talked about earlier, involved a relationship with this guy who I was dating for a while and it was messy, and things are still uncertain, but I do kinda like you, so I feel it's only fair that I let you know this is not the normal me. You seem really nice. Call me, okay?" She asked and stepped toward him and kissed him a little more passionately than he had kissed her. He kissed back. She blinked and let go of his hand. "Goodnight Brad." She smiled.

"Goodnight, Amy." He smiled back. He was not just happy, he was ecstatic. He watched her place her key in the door and shut it behind her. Wow, he thought.
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A/N: I am a TERRIBLE author. That chapter had a stunning lack of Bright/Hannahness. I'm sorry! I promise I will make it up to you. I'm really enjoying this foray into Ephram and Amy territory and the Ephram/Bright relationship however. As I have said before, bear with me. I love all you dedicated readers! New chapters soon.