Life on Banana Street
The First Date
A few weeks passed and Gabe and I were always together, no matter what.
I had bought my own apartment, nice and cozy.
I was sitting home alone for a change, watching TV, when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Hersh.”
“Yes?”
“This is Social Services.”
“I don’t have a kid…”
“Not not your kid, you.”
“What?”
“Your mother was found dead this morning. We’re taking you in and putting you with a foster family.”
There was a long pause, me remembering my mom. I was left speechless for a few seconds.
“But I’m 21...I don’t need a foster family.”
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can drive down here or you can get a police escort. Without coming here, but straight to jail. Do you know it’s against the law to be under 18 and live on your own?”
“I’m 21!”
“Now that’s a federal offence, lying about your age.”
I hung up the phone and took it off the hook so he can’t call back, if it was a man.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang.
“Shit! They do know where I live!”
I looked out the peep hole and it was Gabe. Thank God.
“Hey, Gabe!” And he hugged me.
“Hey what’s wrong? You seem tense.”
“Well, come in and I’ll tell you.”
“Ok.”
We walked in and we sat on the couch.
“Ok. What is it?”
“Well, I found out my mom’s dead, and Social Services are coming to take me and put me in a fucking
foster family.”
“Baby, I’m sorry. Do you need a hug?”
“No, I didn’t like my mom.”
“Oh that’s nice.”
“Well was I supposed to? She fucking beat me!”
“Now do you need a hug?”
“No, but I could never refuse one from you.”
He hugged me.
“Mmmm you smell good.”
“Thank you. You’re not too bad yourself.”
After a long time of watching TV, I finally broke the silence.
“Gabe, I know you don’t do these things, but they’re just a warning because I don’t want what happened to me and Tre happen to us.”
“Ok?”
“1. No saying ‘I love you’ before the first two months. 2. No kissing anywhere other than the cheek before saying ’I love you’. 3. No sex before the first five months. Ok? Got it?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok.”
“So where do you want to go tonight?”
“Um I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”
“Choice is all yours Sweet Heart.”
“Aw thanks! We can go bowling I guess. I haven’t done that in a while.”
“Alrighty then. We’re going bowling!”
“Yay!”
“So, I’ll leave you here to get ready. I’ll pick you up at around 6:00 ok?”
“Alright! Sounds great.”
“Well good because I wouldn’t want you to be unhappy.”
“Gabe, you’re so nice.”
“Thank you. You are too.”
“No, I’m not as nice as you.”
“You were nice enough to give me a chance.”
“Well, anyway, you do know when my birthday is right?”
“But of course. June 26. And mine?”
“March 26.”
He kissed me on the cheek.
“Right.”
I smiled. I wish he was truly mine.
-6:00-
I was putting my earrings in when the doorbell rang.
“Come in!”
I heard him come back towards my room. Only it wasn’t Gabe. It was Billie.
“Billie! Hey what’s up?”
“Ok, Addie, I’ve done a lot of thinking and I think we should go out again. Better yet get married.”
“I can’t.”
“Why? Don’t you love me?”
“I’m already going out with someone.”
“You’re not going out with Tre anymore…”
“No, you’re right. I’m not. I’m going out with someone else.”
“Who?”
“His name is Gabe and I really like him.”
“What? Have you had sex with him yet?”
I laughed. “No. We’re not ready.”
“Who the hell are you? What have you done with Addie?!”
“Billie. Get a hold of yourself. I’ve changed and so you need to.”
“Fine Addie. Just blow our love on a new guy. Don’t blame me when you’re living in a card board box with him and I’m living it big in a nice cozy mansion.”
“Yeah well if I do have a card board box, I’d have more company than you.”
“No not really. People on the streets don’t count. Teenies don’t count either.”
“Yeah. I’ll have Gabe.”
Just then the doorbell rang.
“Come in!”
“I’ll be going now.”
“No, you’re going to stay! I’m not through with you.”
“Is everything ok?” Gabe asked coming in.
“Yeah.”
“Billie Joe Armstrong! I love your work!”
“Thanks. That’s the first fan confrontation that I’ve had.”
“Really? I thought you’d have a lot more.”
“I do, they just don’t show it.”
“Ok, Billie! You can leave now. Gabe and I have somewhere we gotta be.”
“Well rawr.”
After he left, I was finishing up with my hair and Gabe came and talked to me.
“Addie, that was really rude.”
“Yeah? You shoulda been here when he was talking about you.”
“What did he say about me??”
“He was insulting us.” I turned around and leaned against the dresser.
“Like how?”
“Well the only reason he came here was to ask me out again, and I rejected him. He told me that if I was with you, I would be living in a cardboard box and he’ll be in a huge mansion, living it up.”
“And your response to that was?”
I paused. “At least I’d have company.”
He looked at me with wide eyes. “Really?”
“Mmhmm.”
He came over and put his arms around my waist.
“I think you better change that kissing rule.”
I laughed and looked deep into his eyes, as he did to me.
He kissed me very passionately.
“Wow.”
“So shall we be going?” He said with a smile.
“Right.”
And we left for the bowling alley, only to find the shock of our lives.
Tre and Carly were there. Talking, looks like flirting like crazy.
“Oh my God! It’s Tre Cool!”
My eyes felt hot, like I was going to cry.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t you know that he was my ex-boyfriend after 8 years??”
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” He hugged me. “You alright?”
“Yeah. Let’s just go bowl. I need to throw some balls.”
He laughed and got us signed in to bowl.
“Ok. Gabe, I’m gonna warn you. I suck at this.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing’s worse than me.”
“Oh, but you haven’t seen me.”
“Ok I get it. We both suck.”
I was about to roll the ball when, “Hey Addie.” Then I threw the ball the opposite way.
“Don’t talk to me Tre.”
“I’m sorry, Addie.”
“It’s kind of too late Tre. I’m going out with someone else.”
“That’s great. That’s not why I came over here. I didn’t want to take you back.”
“Ok. Then what did you want to tell me?”
“I’m asking Carly to marry me tonight.”
“What?! How could you Tre? You don’t even fucking know her!!”
“I know her enough.”
“Yeah I thought you knew me.”
“I do know you.”
“If you knew me, you would have known that I HATE it when people cheat on me.”
“Well…”
“Well what? Get out of my sight.”
He kissed me like he used to. “Now tell me that didn’t know you.”
Gabe came over and shoved Tre.
“Dude! What the hell is your problem kissing my girl!?”
“Hey she was mine first!”
“Tre! You said you weren’t going to take me back! So leave!”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.” He smiled at me and lightly kissed me again.
Gabe couldn’t take it. He punched him clear in the nose. Enough to make it bleed.
“Gabe don’t! He will crush you!”
“Then he shouldn’t have messed with my girl.”
I sighed, sat down, and watched them fight with my head resting on my hand. Soon enough, security came.
“Take it easy boys! Take it easy.”
The cops were talking to them and Gabe came over to me after.
“Baby! Look at you! You’re all busted up!”
He touched his lip and blood was on the tip of his finger.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said grabbing his bowling bag.
“Ok.”
We got back to my apartment and I got a First Aid kit for him.
“Ow.”
“Sorry.”
Then, I got a phone call…from Carly.
“Hello?”
“Hey Addie."
“Oh. Carly.”
“Look Addie, I’m sorry. But I rejected.”
“Rejected what?”
“Tre’s proposal. I mean I liked him but I didn’t like him THAT much.”
“Carly. Stop. I can’t take this right now.”
“Oh sorry. Bye.”
I hung up and went back to Gabe.
“Who was that?”
“No one.”
“Well it had to be someone.”
“No one important.”
“Addie, just tell me who it is. I won’t get mad.”
“It was Carly.”
“See. That’s not no one. It wasn’t that hard.”
“Well sorry.”
I was sitting on the couch being pissed at Tre for a long while. All of a sudden, Gabe kissed me. His warm, tender kiss. Finally, we pulled apart.
“Gabe. What did I tell you about this?”
“Well I guess you’re going to have to reconsider.”
I laughed and we kissed again. He stayed the night. Don’t worry. We didn’t do it.
I had bought my own apartment, nice and cozy.
I was sitting home alone for a change, watching TV, when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Hersh.”
“Yes?”
“This is Social Services.”
“I don’t have a kid…”
“Not not your kid, you.”
“What?”
“Your mother was found dead this morning. We’re taking you in and putting you with a foster family.”
There was a long pause, me remembering my mom. I was left speechless for a few seconds.
“But I’m 21...I don’t need a foster family.”
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can drive down here or you can get a police escort. Without coming here, but straight to jail. Do you know it’s against the law to be under 18 and live on your own?”
“I’m 21!”
“Now that’s a federal offence, lying about your age.”
I hung up the phone and took it off the hook so he can’t call back, if it was a man.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang.
“Shit! They do know where I live!”
I looked out the peep hole and it was Gabe. Thank God.
“Hey, Gabe!” And he hugged me.
“Hey what’s wrong? You seem tense.”
“Well, come in and I’ll tell you.”
“Ok.”
We walked in and we sat on the couch.
“Ok. What is it?”
“Well, I found out my mom’s dead, and Social Services are coming to take me and put me in a fucking
foster family.”
“Baby, I’m sorry. Do you need a hug?”
“No, I didn’t like my mom.”
“Oh that’s nice.”
“Well was I supposed to? She fucking beat me!”
“Now do you need a hug?”
“No, but I could never refuse one from you.”
He hugged me.
“Mmmm you smell good.”
“Thank you. You’re not too bad yourself.”
After a long time of watching TV, I finally broke the silence.
“Gabe, I know you don’t do these things, but they’re just a warning because I don’t want what happened to me and Tre happen to us.”
“Ok?”
“1. No saying ‘I love you’ before the first two months. 2. No kissing anywhere other than the cheek before saying ’I love you’. 3. No sex before the first five months. Ok? Got it?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok.”
“So where do you want to go tonight?”
“Um I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”
“Choice is all yours Sweet Heart.”
“Aw thanks! We can go bowling I guess. I haven’t done that in a while.”
“Alrighty then. We’re going bowling!”
“Yay!”
“So, I’ll leave you here to get ready. I’ll pick you up at around 6:00 ok?”
“Alright! Sounds great.”
“Well good because I wouldn’t want you to be unhappy.”
“Gabe, you’re so nice.”
“Thank you. You are too.”
“No, I’m not as nice as you.”
“You were nice enough to give me a chance.”
“Well, anyway, you do know when my birthday is right?”
“But of course. June 26. And mine?”
“March 26.”
He kissed me on the cheek.
“Right.”
I smiled. I wish he was truly mine.
-6:00-
I was putting my earrings in when the doorbell rang.
“Come in!”
I heard him come back towards my room. Only it wasn’t Gabe. It was Billie.
“Billie! Hey what’s up?”
“Ok, Addie, I’ve done a lot of thinking and I think we should go out again. Better yet get married.”
“I can’t.”
“Why? Don’t you love me?”
“I’m already going out with someone.”
“You’re not going out with Tre anymore…”
“No, you’re right. I’m not. I’m going out with someone else.”
“Who?”
“His name is Gabe and I really like him.”
“What? Have you had sex with him yet?”
I laughed. “No. We’re not ready.”
“Who the hell are you? What have you done with Addie?!”
“Billie. Get a hold of yourself. I’ve changed and so you need to.”
“Fine Addie. Just blow our love on a new guy. Don’t blame me when you’re living in a card board box with him and I’m living it big in a nice cozy mansion.”
“Yeah well if I do have a card board box, I’d have more company than you.”
“No not really. People on the streets don’t count. Teenies don’t count either.”
“Yeah. I’ll have Gabe.”
Just then the doorbell rang.
“Come in!”
“I’ll be going now.”
“No, you’re going to stay! I’m not through with you.”
“Is everything ok?” Gabe asked coming in.
“Yeah.”
“Billie Joe Armstrong! I love your work!”
“Thanks. That’s the first fan confrontation that I’ve had.”
“Really? I thought you’d have a lot more.”
“I do, they just don’t show it.”
“Ok, Billie! You can leave now. Gabe and I have somewhere we gotta be.”
“Well rawr.”
After he left, I was finishing up with my hair and Gabe came and talked to me.
“Addie, that was really rude.”
“Yeah? You shoulda been here when he was talking about you.”
“What did he say about me??”
“He was insulting us.” I turned around and leaned against the dresser.
“Like how?”
“Well the only reason he came here was to ask me out again, and I rejected him. He told me that if I was with you, I would be living in a cardboard box and he’ll be in a huge mansion, living it up.”
“And your response to that was?”
I paused. “At least I’d have company.”
He looked at me with wide eyes. “Really?”
“Mmhmm.”
He came over and put his arms around my waist.
“I think you better change that kissing rule.”
I laughed and looked deep into his eyes, as he did to me.
He kissed me very passionately.
“Wow.”
“So shall we be going?” He said with a smile.
“Right.”
And we left for the bowling alley, only to find the shock of our lives.
Tre and Carly were there. Talking, looks like flirting like crazy.
“Oh my God! It’s Tre Cool!”
My eyes felt hot, like I was going to cry.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t you know that he was my ex-boyfriend after 8 years??”
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” He hugged me. “You alright?”
“Yeah. Let’s just go bowl. I need to throw some balls.”
He laughed and got us signed in to bowl.
“Ok. Gabe, I’m gonna warn you. I suck at this.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing’s worse than me.”
“Oh, but you haven’t seen me.”
“Ok I get it. We both suck.”
I was about to roll the ball when, “Hey Addie.” Then I threw the ball the opposite way.
“Don’t talk to me Tre.”
“I’m sorry, Addie.”
“It’s kind of too late Tre. I’m going out with someone else.”
“That’s great. That’s not why I came over here. I didn’t want to take you back.”
“Ok. Then what did you want to tell me?”
“I’m asking Carly to marry me tonight.”
“What?! How could you Tre? You don’t even fucking know her!!”
“I know her enough.”
“Yeah I thought you knew me.”
“I do know you.”
“If you knew me, you would have known that I HATE it when people cheat on me.”
“Well…”
“Well what? Get out of my sight.”
He kissed me like he used to. “Now tell me that didn’t know you.”
Gabe came over and shoved Tre.
“Dude! What the hell is your problem kissing my girl!?”
“Hey she was mine first!”
“Tre! You said you weren’t going to take me back! So leave!”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.” He smiled at me and lightly kissed me again.
Gabe couldn’t take it. He punched him clear in the nose. Enough to make it bleed.
“Gabe don’t! He will crush you!”
“Then he shouldn’t have messed with my girl.”
I sighed, sat down, and watched them fight with my head resting on my hand. Soon enough, security came.
“Take it easy boys! Take it easy.”
The cops were talking to them and Gabe came over to me after.
“Baby! Look at you! You’re all busted up!”
He touched his lip and blood was on the tip of his finger.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said grabbing his bowling bag.
“Ok.”
We got back to my apartment and I got a First Aid kit for him.
“Ow.”
“Sorry.”
Then, I got a phone call…from Carly.
“Hello?”
“Hey Addie."
“Oh. Carly.”
“Look Addie, I’m sorry. But I rejected.”
“Rejected what?”
“Tre’s proposal. I mean I liked him but I didn’t like him THAT much.”
“Carly. Stop. I can’t take this right now.”
“Oh sorry. Bye.”
I hung up and went back to Gabe.
“Who was that?”
“No one.”
“Well it had to be someone.”
“No one important.”
“Addie, just tell me who it is. I won’t get mad.”
“It was Carly.”
“See. That’s not no one. It wasn’t that hard.”
“Well sorry.”
I was sitting on the couch being pissed at Tre for a long while. All of a sudden, Gabe kissed me. His warm, tender kiss. Finally, we pulled apart.
“Gabe. What did I tell you about this?”
“Well I guess you’re going to have to reconsider.”
I laughed and we kissed again. He stayed the night. Don’t worry. We didn’t do it.