Life on Banana Street

The next morning I went to the store. I got up without disturbing Gabe, got ready and headed over there…waiting for the surprise of my life.

“Hmm…Mr. Clean or Scrubbing Bubbles. God damnit why does this have to be so hard?”

“Try the Mr. Clean,” said a familiar voice from behind me.

I turned around and saw Tre.

“What do you want Tre?”

“Nothing. Can’t a man just come to a store and pick out a cleaning device?”

“Um no.”

“Why not? You know me.”

“Yeah exactly. You wouldn’t do that. Now what do you want?”

“I want you back Addie. And that guy last night doesn’t deserve you.”

“Oh and you think you do? You fucking cheated on me Tre! With my best friend! That’s not someone who should deserve me.”

“What does he do to make you feel so special? What does he have that I never did?”

“Character. Sure you were fun and all, and I loved you. I loved every second of it. But Tre, why did you go behind my back and cheat on me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Were you bored or something? Because I gave everything I had to you. And I want it back.”

“I can’t give it back Adeline.”

“Why the hell not? You took away my dignity. You embarrassed me.”

“How did I embarrass you?”

“I walk in with a dumbass look on my face like a deer caught in the headlights and-” I had tears in my eyes. “You were the best thing I had. I gave up all my dreams because I loved you. Now I have nothing.”

He looked at me trying not to cry as well. “I’m sorry.”

“Well you should have thought about that before you cheated on me.” I moved past him to the checkout line & did my business.

-Back at the Apartment-

“Hey Gabe. I’m home.”

“Hey Babe. Did everything go fine at the store?”

“Not exactly.”

“What? What happened?” He asked getting up and putting an arm around me.

“Tre-”

“What did he do to you?” getting sternness in his voice.

“He didn’t do anything really he just…made me feel bad. He made me relive that moment where I lost him. He was trying to take me back.”

“Aw hell nah man! No man’s gonna steal my girl.”

“I know,” I said muffled in his shirt as he hugged me and rubbed my back.

-Later that Day-

“Gabe, baby, I’m going to go to the store and get some dinner. Ok?”

“I thought you already got dinner.”

“No. I got…other things like stuff we don’t eat. Besides I don’t mind going back.”

“Ok. Well I’ll see you later.” He quickly kissed me and I was out the door.

I was driving down the street when I almost crashed. Nicky was in the street. I was honking but he couldn’t hear it because he was too into his hot dog.

“Nicky! Get out of the road!”

That’s not what he heard. All he heard was, “Nicky! I want you!” So he got in the car and tried to kiss me.

“Dude what the fuck?”

“You said you wanted me. Come on Addie. You know you do.”

“Oh get real! Get out of my car before it breaks down!”

“I’ll only get out for a kiss.”

“Oh my Lord.”

“Pucker up.”

“Please get out of my car!”

“Not until I get what I want.”

“A Twinkie?” I got a Twinkie out of my bag and threw it out the window and of course he followed.

I finally arrived at the store just awaiting to see my best friend. No not Carly, another. Mitzi. I haven’t seen her since 7th grade.

“Mitzi!”

“Oh my God! Addie?”

“Yeah! So how’s life been for you?”

“Good. Good. I recently got married.”

“Oh! That’s great! To who?”

“Jeremy. Remember Jeremy?”

“Of course! How could I forget?”

She laughed. “So how’s life for you?”

“It’s fine just fine. I’ve had…3 boyfriends since you left. Where did you go anyway?”

Mitzi was like my sister. A long lost sister. Out of all the things we shared, this was the only thing she never told me.

“Oh. I moved to Texas. But I’m back now so it’s all good.”

“Yay! I’m so glad that you’re back! So is Jeremy here?”

“Oh no. He’s at the house. You’re welcome to come by for a visit anytime!”

I missed Jeremy. He was like my long lost brother. We were a happy ‘family’.

“Um…I kind of have someone of my own.”

“Oooo Addie. Who’s the lucky man? Is he here?”

“His name is Gabe…”

“Gabe Carlise?”

“Yeah how do you know?”

“He was my best friend in elementary school! GG?”

“Oh! It all makes sense now!”

“Yep. So is he here? I kinda want to see him!”

“No. He’s at my apartment.”

“Are you guys married?”

“Oh no. We’ve only been going out for a few months.”

“I see. Well it’s been good talking to you! Do you want my number and my address?”

“Yeah that would be great!”

“Alright.” She wrote down her number and address and gave it to me. “Well I’ll let you get back to shopping.”

There was an awkward silence. I hugged her. “I missed you Mitz.”

“I missed you too Addie.”

I smiled and we went our separate ways only to find out that Tre was around the corner.

“Tre? What are you still doing here?”

“I had to get some dinner. You?”

“Same…” I looked at him with a suspicious look in my eye.

“Really? Small world.” There was a pause. “Who was your friend?”

“You don’t need to get involved with her, Tre. She’s already married.”

“I don’t want to date her. I just want to know who she is.”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Because I’m interested in being her friend.”

“Tre. Come on. You’re not the kind of guy who would want to be just some girl’s friend.”

“That’s not what you thought about me before that incident happened.”

“I’m not going to take you back. You act like this was all my fault.”

“No I’m not. You know I still love you.”

“Well I don’t love you. My heart belongs to someone else.”

“Oh. That fruitcake.”

“He’s not a fruitcake.”

“Then what the hell is he?”

“Most certainly not a fruitcake.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Tre what is with the interrogation?”

“Nothing. I just want to know what your life has been like without me.”

“Fine. Better than ever. Are you happy now?”

“No. I need you Addie.”

“Oh please. I’m over you Tre.”

“You just don’t love someone then the next day decide you don’t anymore.”

“Yeah well you just don’t love someone then cheat on them the next day.”

Oh, I was good. He didn’t know what to say.

“Now if you will excuse me I have some shopping to do.”

I went passed him and got everything I needed for the night and went to my car. Great. My car is out of gas.
I was trying to start it when Tre came outside.

“Come on let me give you a ride.”

“No thanks Tre. I just need gas.”

“Well I can take you home then bring you some gas tomorrow.”

After many more minutes of convincing me, I finally let him take me home. For the most part, it was a quiet ride to my apartment. But Tre pulled over.

“Oh now what?”

He leaned over and tried to kiss me.

“Tre! No!”

“Come on. You know you want it.”

“No I don’t! Please stop!” I got in the backseat and he just climbed back there after me.

“No! Go back in the front!”

He tried to pull off my shirt but I wouldn’t let him. Then he just ripped it off.

“Tre don’t do this!”

“Why what’s going to happen?”

“A lot of things.”

He wasn’t listening. We started as I cried. After he was done, he climbed back into the driver’s seat and drove me back to my apartment as I stay there shakily. I had just been raped.

“Bye Babe. See ya later.”

“Yeah right asshole,” I mumbled under my breath.

As I walked up the steps to my place, I was thinking. Should I tell Gabe? What would he do?

“Gabe I’m home.”

“He came in the entry way where I was standing. “Babe, you look sickly. Is everything ok?”

Questions ran through my mind. “No. No I’m not.”

“Why what happened?”

“I-I was…raped.”

Gabe grew red hot. “By who?!”

“T-Tre.”

“Oh that mother fucker. Where did he do it?”

“In the car.”

“He got in your car?”

“No. That’s the thing. My car ran out of gas so he gave me a ride home.”

“So where’s your car now?”

“The store.”

“Well you’re never going back to that store again if this shit’s gonna happen to you all the time.”