Crossing Borders By: Jesse Drache
Disclaimers: I don't own Ephram, Colin, Bright or any other characters you might recognize, I'm just borrowing them for my amusement. So don't sue me.
Warning: This is Ephram/Colin slash; if you don't like it, don't read it.
Rating: There will be two versions of this fic, a PG-13 one (which I will post on Fanfiction.net) and a NC-17 one that I will post on my website and will provide links to.
Chapter 2: Departures
As soon as he left his father's office, Ephram ran past Edna's desk and out into the street, stopping only to get on his bike and pedal home.
By the time that he made it home, Ephram was out of breath and on the verge of tears.
He rode the bike up to his front yard and left it there, not bothering to put it up.
He struggled with the keys, but after a few minutes he managed to get the door open even though his shaking hands impeded the process.
Once he was in the house, he stormed towards his room, forgetting Colin's presence in the house, and slammed the door behind him before collapsing on the bed and burying his head within a pillow.
He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he did not notice the door opening or the slight dip of the bed as someone climbed in beside him.
"Hey," he heard Colin say from behind him as he softly stroked the back of Ephram's head. "How'd it go?"
Ephram said nothing.
After a few minutes of listening to Colin's soothing words and his soft stroking, Ephram finally raised his head from the covers and looked at Colin. His eyes were slightly red, Colin noted, but otherwise he seemed fine.
"It…didn't go well," Ephram said sadly, then a wave seemed to pass over his features and he closed himself off from showing any other emotion.
Examining the look on Ephram's face, Colin realized that he would get nothing more from the other boy and silently let it go.
He silently watched as Ephram jumped off the bed, opened his closet door, and pulled out a duffel bag.
His confusion became apparent on his face as he watched Ephram rifle through his possessions and scrape together his wallet, ID's and cash.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving. Running away if you will," Ephram said nonchalantly, throwing the duffel bag on the bed and stuffing it with clothes.
Colin watched Ephram for a few minutes, judging the determination on the other boy's face.
"I'm going with you," he said, making up his mind and standing up.
"No you're not. You've got to stay here with your family, and Amy and Bright. They need you," Ephram said, moving past Colin and grabbing the three mangas that sat on his bedside table and carefully putting them in the bag.
"Ephram. Ephram, hold on for a minute," Colin stepped in front of the bed, blocking access to the bag.
"I'm going with you."
"But you just said that the reason that you don't want to go to Denver is that you don't want to go to a strange place. Coming with me would be the same thing."
"Ephram," Colin said, reaching out and gently stroking the other boy's cheek, "you're the only person in this entire town that really matters to me. You're the only one that knows who I really am. If you leave, what am I supposed to do? Spend the rest of my life pretending to be someone I'm not? I would rather go with you and be with my best friend in a strange place, than stay here and be in a familiar town full of strangers."
Ephram stared at Colin, letting the weight of the boy's words fall upon him.
"Plus, I think you're pretty," Colin added, a grin breaking out across his face as he tried to lighten the situation.
Ephram couldn't help smirk at Colin's comment and stopped to consider the other boy's words.
Maneuvering past Colin, he zipped up the bag, slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the room.
Colin followed him, determined not to let him go without him.
"Go to your house and get your stuff. Meet me at the new train station, I'll get our tickets," Ephram said as he walked down the stairs.
He turned and gave Colin one last meaningful look before he grabbed his coat and walked out the door.
***
Twenty minutes later, Ephram sat in the lobby of the train station, waiting impatiently for Colin to arrive.
"Come on," he said to himself, glancing at his watch. The only train to New York left in five minutes.
He frantically looked around the lobby, assuming that Colin had changed his mind and getting ready to board the train alone.
He was startled by a hand on his back, and for a moment, Ephram was afraid that his father had gone home and found his closet empty.
Turning, he found himself face to face with a smiling Colin.
It figures that he wouldn't go after me, Ephram thought bitterly but was distracted by an announcement stating that their train was about to depart.
"Come on, the train's about to leave."
Ephram picked up his bag from where it sat on the floor, then turned to his left and led Colin down the terminal and onto their train.
As they took their seats next to one another at the back of the train, Ephram couldn't help but glance back at Everwood one last time, wondering if he had made the right decision for both Colin and himself.