Life on Banana Street

“It has to be something, babe.”

“I told you! It’s nothing ok?”

“Geez you don’t have to jump down my throat.”

“Sorry, Tre.”

“Are you…pregnant?” He asked very cautiously. “Damn condoms.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh thank God.”

“Are you saying you don’t want children?”

“I didn’t say that…”

“Then what did you say?”

“I’m just not ready. Now.”

“Oh.”

“Addie, tell me what’s wrong. You can tell me anything.”

“Tre, I’m fat ok?”

“You’re as skinny as a twig!”

“Yeah a big fat log!”

“You’re not a log honey. You’re a little tree twig.”

“Thank you.”

“Wanna go out for Chinese?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Addie, come to think of it, I haven’t seen you eat in a while. What’s wrong?”

“God Tre! Do I have to give you that many hints?! I’m losing weight ok?”

“Oh my God. Don’t tell me you’re going anorexic.”

“So what if I am? Is that a problem?”

“Yeah. It is. It’s not healthy.”

“I feel really good. Good about my size now.”

“How much do you weigh?”

“About 93.”

“Addie! Oh my God! You’re 18! You’re not supposed to weigh that less!”

“Oh yeah? Then how much am I supposed to weigh?”

“At least 180.”

“I’m never going to be that fat.”

“It’s not fat. Muscle weighs more than fat.”

“Whatever.”

“I know you remember this lesson in health.”

“Of cou-” I stopped and dropped on the ground. “T-T-Tre…”

“Adeline! Are you ok?”

“C-Call 9-1-1.”

“Oh God this can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.” I ran to the phone and dialed the 3-digit
number. “Oh God where’s the 11?!”

-Tre’s POV-

The ambulance got here and wheeled Addie away on the stretcher.
I knew she couldn’t hear me, she was unconscious, but I whispered to her as she got on the vehicle.

“Addie, I’m never going to leave you.”

I watched as they loaded her in the VEHICLE. (you’re welcome Kia)

Oh yeah I said I wouldn’t leave her. I got in my car and drove behind the ambulance.

-Later-

I anticipated in the waiting room until they finally came out to me.

“Frank?”

“What happened? Is she ok?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Is she dead?”

“Almost. The only thing keeping her alive is a breathing tube.”

“Oh my God! I gotta go see her.”

“You can’t right now. She just now recovered, she needs rest.”

“You expect me to stay here and wait?”

“Yes.”

“Oh ok.”

I sat back down and waited for ages.

“You can go see her.”

I followed the fucking lame ass doctor and saw Addie, all hooked up to tubes, wires, and everything else you could think of. It made my heart hurt. She was almost dead.
I reached out my hand and touched her hand.

“Addie?”

“Tre. What happened?”

“You collapsed.” I started crying.

“What are you crying about?”

“You could die. You don’t know how dangerous what you did was.”

“Tre, I’m fine now. I swear I’ll eat as soon as I get home.”

“Ok.” I picked up her hand and kissed it. “I’m not leaving this room.”

She smiled and drifted off to sleep.

-My POV-

I woke up and saw Tre asleep in the chair next to my bed.

“No. No! I will not be eaten by the flying giraffes!”

“Tre, wake up.”

“Huh? Oh. Scary giraffes.”

I laughed. “You’re so weird.”

“Yeah I know.”

-A Few Days Later-

“Tre? What the hell?”

“What?”

“You know what.”

“No…”

“You’re licking the ground.”

“Oh. I didn’t even realize that.”

“Wow. I’m bored. I wanna go somewhere.”

“Where?” He said putting his arms around my waist.

“I don’t know. The mall or something and make fun of the little kids that are still in school.”

“My favorite!”

I laughed. “I love you Tre.”

“You know I love you,” he said then kissing me.

“Yeah. I’m gonna go over to my house and tell Matt I’m leaving.”

“Ok. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

“Mmk.”

I walked home and opened the door and my mood totally changed.

“Hello Adeline.”

“Mom? Is that you?”

“Yeah. It’s amazing how much 5 years in jail does to a person huh?”

“Where are you going with this?”

“You turned me in Adeline!”

“No I didn’t.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not!”

“Watch your tone with me young lady!”

“What’s your problem?”

“You! I wish you’d never been born!”

“I wish I never had! With you as my mother. I hate you!”

She looked at me with hurt.

“Don’t look at me like that Mom. You hurt me more than I hurt you.”

“It’s ok. If I end up like your father, you wouldn’t care.”

“Probably not. You treat me like shit and you expect me to like you?”

“You’ve made your point. I’ll just go.”

She left the house and I just went to Tre’s car, thinking what I just did.

“Baby, you look terrible. What happened?”

“I just bitched out my mom.”

“Your mom? I thought she was in jail.”

“It’s been 5 years.”

“Oh. Right.”

He put the car in gear and we were off to the mall.

-Mall-

“Look a little kid!”

Tre got a cheese fry out of the basket we were sharing and threw it at the kid’s back.

“Hahahaha!”

“What the heck was that?”

We watched him walk away with it stuck to his back and we were cracking up.

Just then, 2 people came up behind me and started tickling me. I screamed.

“Jeff! Billie! Hey guys!”

“Hey. What were you guys doing?” Jeff asked.

“He was throwing cheese fries at little kid’s backs.”

“Oh my God! I wanna do that!”

“Go ahead. There’s one right there.”

“Give me a cheese fry. Give me a cheese fry!”

He threw it and it hit the center of his back and slid down. He never knew it was there.

After the laughter died down, I finally asked, “Has anyone seen Canada and Mike lately?”

“No.”

“No.”

“Yes. Oh. I mean no.”

“I haven’t seen her since the day before I went to the hospital.”

“Me either.”

Tre looked at his watch.

“Shit! I forgot I have to be at a college interview today. Babe, I gotta go. Jeff can take you home.” He kissed me good bye and Jeff put his arm around me like a buddy along with Billie on the other side.

“I feel like a whore.”

“And we’re your man whores.”

“Yep. Where do you guys want to go?”

“The music store. I want to show you something,” Billie said.

“Ok.”

We walked there like that and Billie told me to wait at the front with Jeff while he went and got a CD.

“Look.”

“Oh my God! You didn’t tell me you made a CD with your band!”

“Yeah. Today’s the release day.”

“God you ass! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise. I was gonna buy it for you for your birthday in a few weeks.”

“Oh. Well get it for me now!”

“Alright alright.”

After he bought it and a few more stops here and there, we went back to my house to listen to the CD.

“At the Library. Don’t Leave Me. I Was There. Disappearing Boy. Green Day. Going to Pasalacqua. 16. Road to Acceptance. Rest. The Judge’s Daughter. Paper Lanterns. Why Do You Want Him. 409 In Your Coffeemaker. Knowledge. 1,000 Hours. Dry Ice. Only of You. The One I Want. I Want to Be Alone. Wow.”

“”Why Do You Want Him and The One I Want were written about…you.”

“Aww that’s sweet. But first, I want to listen to 409 In Your Coffeemaker.”

“I’m sure you’ll like it.”

We listened to the song.

“Oh my fricken God! I love that song! I swear it’ll be my favorite song on the album.”

“Yeah. I have some bad news though.”

“What?”

“John got accepted into college and we need a replacement.”

“Do you want me to be in your band? Cause you know, I am a drummer.”

“No, I was wondering if…Tre, could fill in.”