Class is Now in Session

Tre's Secret

I got a letter a the next Monday, stating that the board of education had found a temporary principal for St. Luke's, and that I was to come back the week after, just so the board could get an idea of what the temp was like when interacting with the students and real teachers. All of the teachers who taught specials like art and, in my case, rock music class, were coming back the week after. In other words, they didn't want me to come back, realize that the temp was a prick, then have to close and send everyone, including myself, home again.
I was looking forward to going back. I was starting to miss my class. And, judging by the card that they made for me, they missed me just as much. I was pretty glad to see this, since it meant that I was making some kind of impact on their lives. Looking at the big picture, that was really my goal since the beginning.

I got a call from Tim the next day. He said that he was very busy at work, but he wanted to call and see how I was.
"I'm fine," I told him, "I'm just, you know, hangin' out."
"Sounds like fun," he said with a small laugh.
"It is," I laughed.
"Well, how about I take you out sometime this week?" he asked.
"I could go for that," I told him.
"Cool. I'll give you a call sometime during the week after I find out how my workload is like. That sound cool?"
"Very cool," I replied. "But I can't go out on Friday.
"Dare I ask why?"
"Because I already have plans to go out that night. I'm going out with a very special friend."
"All right, then. No, Friday," he said, not sounding annoyed, which I was happy about. "Is every other day good for you, though?
"Every other day works for me," I replied.
"Excellent. I'll call you soon," Tim said, sounding pretty damn happy.
"Awesome," I replied, sounding just as happy.
"See ya."
"Bye."
I was happy about seeing Tim again, but I was just a little nervous about what Tre' would say when he found out, what with him being somewhat cold towards Tim. I decided to keep off telling him for as long as I could. I would rather have him be annoyed for a little while rather than all week. An upset Tre' really isn't somethin' you'd want to see.
Tim called me on Wednesday. I was starting to think that he wasn't all that busy, even though he was a lawyer. Maybe he kept taking off just to see me? I hoped not. That would be a little obsessive.
Tim wanted to know if we could go out on Thursday to a rave one of his younger friends was having. I tried not to laugh when he asked. I didn't think people even HAD raves anymore. But apparently, I was wrong. I never really pictured Tim as the kind of person who would go out to a rave. The first thing that came to mind when he said "rave" was throbbing techno beats and glow sticks. It'd been a while since anything of that sort had crossed my mind.
I agreed, hoping that it would be as fun as he made it out to be.
I had been to a couple raves in my day. My CyberGoth friends used to invite me along when I was in high school. They were fun, but I was always afraid to drink anything. A lot of the ravers always seemed to be hopped up on nitrous oxide, only staying still long enough to pour some alcohol down their throats or take a drag from a joint. Sometimes they wouldn't even stand still while doing these things. It was kinda funny to watch sometimes, that is, unless you were right next to them all night and they kept smacking into you on purpose so that they could feel you up. Many a time I had to kick some raver ass because of inappropriate and unwelcome touching. Thank you big, clunky platform boots!
After Tim's call, I immediately dashed up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door behind me. I had to find some good, old-fashioned raver/CyberGoth clothing that I had left from high school.
I checked my drawers, my closet, and under my bed. I found nothing that resembled raver clothes. I figured that I had packed it all away in my basement. I decided to check there next.
My basement was kinda dark and drafty, but I was barely ever down there, so it didn't really matter. I tried to avoid going down there because it was usually crawling with crickets in varying sizes. I hate crickets...A LOT. I will run and scream like a three year old if I come into contact with one. But it was starting to get cooler outside so all of the crickets were dying off. Now all I had to worry about was stepping on DEAD crickets, which is just as unpleasant.
I found an old cardboard box labeled "Clothes that Fit During High School." "Jackpot," I said to my self as I opened the box. It was full of old clothes that I'd forgotten even existed. I was rooting through it, looking for something that resembled raver clothing. I found just what I was looking for, as pathetic as that sounds since raver is a pretty pathetic occupation. I found some Day-Glo tank tops, baggy pants, and even an old pair of knee-high platform boots. Then I found a purple synthetic mini dress. Very CyberGoth. Everything looked like it could still fit. I grabbed what I could and hurried back up to my room, trying not to trip and kill myself while on the stairs.
The pants were a faded black (surprise, surprise) and I found a fluorescent red tank top. I thought that it still looked as ugly and stupid as it did back when I used to wear them. I unfolded the tank top and something small fell out onto the floor. I bent down to see what it was, hoping it wasn't a dead cricket or any other kind of bug, dead or alive. What I found was a small flashing baby pacifier that you wore like a necklace. I laughed as I smacked it and it started flashing red, then pink, then white, then blue. This was as tacky as a glow stick, but still pretty damn funny. I put the string over my head and slipped the pants and tank top on. I modeled my outfit in front of my full-length mirror. I looked...like a genuine raver. I smiled while I remembered my CyberGoth friends, Jeanie a.k.a. Robotica, and Nathan a.k.a. Android Unit 735-C. Hey, don't ask me where they came up with those names, I laughed hysterically the first time I heard one of their other CyberGoth friends call them that.
I decided to try on the purple synthetic mini dress next. I dug out a black belt and a pair of fishnets and slipped them on along with the stretchy dress.
I checked myself out in the mirror. I was surprised that the mini dress still fit. It was a little snug, but not so that I couldn't breathe. The bottom of the dress almost revealed part of my ass, but it stopped right where I wanted it to so as to avoid any kind of indecent exposure. It fit like it was supposed to, thank God. I was also glad that the material didn't look like it was at the point of tearing or falling apart. That would not be a good situation to be in if you're on a dance floor, surrounded by strangers.
So I had two looks that I could go for, genuine raver or sexy CyberGoth. I knew that I wasn't going to go all out with CyberGoth hair. I can't sit still for 11 hours while I get plastic extensions melted onto my head and then at the end have all the hair on the back of my head shaved off. No thank you, I like my hair FAR too much to chop it off and have bald spots. The plastic extensions piss me off, too. They get really annoying if you have them in for a long amount of time.
I decided to go for the raver look since I probably wouldn't be able to pull off the CyberGoth look. You may think that I just wasted time, describing all the CyberGoth stuff. Maybe I did, but I just gave you an inside look at the Goth world, the safe way. Consider yourself lucky.
I decided to just put my hair up in pigtails, rather than do something crazy with it. I didn't have the time or experience to do anything extreme.

The next day, I found some bright, colorful make-up for that night. I think that I would fit in quite well.
The rave started at around 9'o clock, but Tim was coming to pick me up around 10. I had plenty of time to get ready.
I spent the day just lounging around, not doing anything. I wanted to be rested so that I could dance my hardest when the time came. I had told Billie and Mike about where I was going, but not Tre.' I had also made them promise not to tell Tre' about where I was going. I would do it myself, but only if he asked. I didn't want to go out of my way to piss him off.

I decided to start getting ready around 9:00. It wouldn't take me too long to put myself together.
I slipped on my pants and my tank top. I wore a black short-sleeved T-shirt underneath the tank top, just to be safe. I had fishnets on under my pants. I slipped on my big platforms and walked into the bathroom so I could do my hair and make-up.
I put my hair up in pigtails first. I secured them with two red hair ties. The ties had little red balls on them. I thought they looked good with my outfit.
I applied my black eyeliner and red eyeshadow. Then I outlined my lips in black and filled them in halfway with black lipstick. I colored in the center of my lips with red lipstick. This was an old trick I'd come up with back in the day.
I checked the clock after I was done in the bathroom. It was 9:45. Tim was coming soon! I ran downstairs and grabbed my jacket and my purse. I went through it and took out some cash, my house keys, and my cell phone. I didn't trust ravers when it came to handling my stuff so I was just gonna stuff all my shit in the pockets of my pants. It would be safer that way.
I set my purse back down and did a mirror check. Everything was in order.
"Excited?"
I looked at Mike's reflection in the mirror. He had a huge smile on his face.
"Yeah, it's been so long since I've gone to a rave," I said, turning around to look at the real him.
"Just don't do any drugs," he said, pointing at me and putting on a stern look.
"Don't plan on it," I replied. "Hey, have you seen Tre' lately?"
"Uhhh...I think he's upstairs in his room, doing only God knows what," Mike replied, rolling his eyes.
"No, he's not, he's right here," said Tre' as he descended the stairs. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. "Why are you dressed like that?"
Shit. "Uh...Tim invited me to a rave that one of his younger friends is having," I stammered, trying not to sound like it was a secret.
"Oh, you're going out with TIM," he said, his normally happy expression fading. I felt bad now. It was pretty hard to make Tre' upset.
"Don't worry, we still have Carrie and Tre' Night tomorrow," I said, walking over, putting my arm around him, and giving him a friendly squeeze.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, nodding his head.
"So don't be too upset that I'm going out tonight, all right?" I said, sounding way too maternal.
"I'll try," he said, fluttering his eyelashes. I laughed and gave him a kiss.
Just then, I heard a car horn honk outside. I looked out the window. Tim's car was parked in the driveway.
"Tim's here, I gotta go," I said, turning back to Mike and Tre.'
"Have fun, don't do drugs, and don't get raped," Mike said, walking into the living room.
"I second that," Tre' said, following Mike.
"I won't, don't worry," I replied, putting on my jacket. "Tell Billie I said bye."
"Will do," Mike replied, staring at the tv screen.
As I walked down the stone path in front of my house, I saw Tim standing next to his car, holding the door open for me. He was dressed like a raver, too. He was wearing baggy blue pants, a black leather jacket, with blue tank top underneath. Okay, it was more like a guys' undershirt, but I don't know what else to call it. His black sneakers were barely visible under his pant legs. I walked over and gave him a kiss.
"Wow, you look great," he said, taking in my outfit.
"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself," I replied, flashing him a smile.
"Well, I try, you know?" he said with a shrug. "How about we get on our way?"
"Good idea."
I stepped into his car and put on my seatbelt. He closed my door and walked to the driver's side. He climbed in, strapped himself in, and started the engine. He pulled out of my driveway and headed in the direction of the party.

I must say, the rave was pretty fun. When we got there, it was just as I'd expected, crowded, noisy, and sweaty. You could barely hear yourself think over the throbbing, "oonce, oonce", techno beats. Tim and I got right in the middle of the dance floor and had a great time. And best of all, neither of us got drunk and/or high. And I didn't get felt up, either. That surprised me a little bit, but it was a welcome change.
Tim introduced me to his friend, Hank, who was throwing the rave. Apparently, he had just graduated from medical school and he wanted to celebrate. He was a pretty nice guy. I've got nothing against him, at least.
Tim and I stayed until midnight. I was so tired on the ride home. When Tim pulled into my driveway, he helped me out and to my door so that I wouldn't pass out on the pavement.
"Did you have a good time?" he asked as I reached into one of my pockets to pull out my keys.
"I had a great time. I'm so glad you invited me," I said, looking up at him with a huge smile on my face.
"Happy to hear it," he replied, returning the smile.
I unlocked my door and pushed it open. The light and tv in the living room were still on, from what I could tell. One of the guys must have fallen asleep on the couch or something.
"'Night, Tim," I said, turning back to my date.
"Good night," he said, planting a small kiss on my lips. He walked back to his car and drove off.
I dug my cell phone and money out of my pockets and tossed them into the basket by the front door, along with my keys. I walked into the living to turn off the tv and all the lights. I found Billie and Tre' asleep on the couch. I laughed at the sight of the two of them. I walked over and gently shook Billie by the shoulder.
"Wake up, sleepy," I said quietly.
"Hm? Oh, hey Carrie," he said groggily, opening one eye. "What time is it?"
"It's about 12:15," I replied, checking the clock on the VCR.
"Oh, okay," he said, lifting his arms above his head. He then looked over at Tre' and pushed the drummer's shoulder. "Hey, wake up, Tre.'"
"What?" Tre' asked, not even opening his eyes.
"It's time to go upstairs to bed," I told him. The sound of my voice caused him to open his eyes.
"Carrie, you're home," he said, opening his eyes and staring up at me.
"Yeah, I am," I replied, holding out my hand to help him up.
"Good, I didn't want you to have too much fun," he said, "you need to be ready for tomorrow."
"Why? You got somethin' planned?" I teased.
"You could say that," he said slyly, walking out of the room. I heard his footsteps as he ascended the stairs and shut his bedroom door.
"Sounds like you two are gonna have fun tomorrow," Billie said, turning back to me.
"It certainly seems so," I said, nodding my head.
"Well, I'm going to bed. Good night," Billie said, giving me a kiss on the cheek and following Tre's path.
"'Night," I called after him. I walked over and turned off the tv, then turned off the lamp on the end table. I walked up to my room, put on a pair of pajamas and walked over to my tv. I wasn't tired enough to fall asleep just yet, so I figured I'd watch some of "Edward Scissorhands" to try and put me to sleep.
I got into bed and propped up my pillow so that I could see the tv screen better. I watched for about an hour before I felt my eyelids drooping. I picked up the remote that was in my lap and switched off the movie, then the whole tv.
As I lay there, listening to the fizzle of the tv, I let my mind drift over some old memories. I immediately brought up an event I hadn't thought about for years.
I saw myself sitting in my bedroom when I was about 13 or so. I could hear Kerplunk! blasting from my tape player. Then I heard a banging on the door. "Will you turn that shit down?!" came my father's voice. I obliged and waited for his footsteps to die down before cranking the volume up again. "Fuck you," I said under my breath as Who Wrote Holden Caulfield began playing.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the sun shining into my room. I must have fallen asleep while old demons surfaced. I usually try and block out my teen years. But I won't get into that now.
I got up and jumped in the shower. When I got out, I looked at the clock in my bedroom to see how long I had taken. I was in there for about a half hour. "Good," I thought, "I didn't take too long."
I got dressed in a dark blue long sleeved shirt and some stretch pants. I grabbed a pair of black and blue striped socks out of a drawer and slipped them on. I grabbed the Anne Rice paperback that I was currently reading, and walked downstairs to get some breakfast and feed Mugsy.
When I walked into the kitchen, I was greeted by the smell of fresh coffee. I should have known.
"Morning, Mike," I said when I saw my fellow bassist sitting at the table, nursing a steaming mug and reading a newspaper.
"Hey, who was your date last night?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the newspaper he was scanning.
"I had a good time. It really reminded me of all the raves some of my CyberGoth high school friends took me to," I replied, walking over to where I kept Mugsy's food. I set my book down on the counter and scooped out a cup of dry food and poured it into Mugsy's bowl. I immediately heard the sound of frantic paws running through the house. I smiled as Mugsy came bounding into the room, making his usual snorting noises. He skidded to a halt right in front of his dish and started wolfing down his food like he hadn't eaten in days. He does that sometimes. It was a wonder he wasn't overweight.
I went over to the freezer and took out an Eggo to toast for breakfast. While it was toasting, I picked up my book and went over and took a seat next to Mike, who had gone back to reading the paper.
"You seem tired," he said, lifting his eyes and staring at me.
"I FEEL tired," I replied, laying my head down on the table top.
"What time did you get back last night?"
"Twelve-ish," I replied, "but I didn't fall asleep until about one or two in the morning."
"No wonder you're tired," he said, placing a hand on my head.
"Yeah, and I'm going out with Tre' tonight, too," I told him. "He says that he has something special planned."
"Oh really?" the bassist said, lifting an eyebrow.
"That's what he tells me."
"Then I'm sure you'll have a good time. Tre's surprises are generally pretty fun. A little dangerous and/or stupid sometimes, but definitely fun."
"Oh great," I laughed, "maybe if we're lucky we won't get arrested."
"Hopefully not."
I got up to take my Eggo out of the toaster. I took out a plate and a can of whipped cream. I would always have an Eggo with whipped cream if it was available. I piled on the whipped cream and replaced it back in the fridge. I went and sat back down next to Mike.
We sat in silence for a bit while I ate and Mike sipped his coffee. The silence was broken when there was a loud, crashing sound coming from the stairs. Mike and I exchanged somewhat curious looks and got up to see what had happened.
We went over to the stairs and saw Billie and Tre' both lying at the bottom of the stairs, laughing hysterically.
"What the hell did you do?" I asked them.
"Billie pushed me down the stairs but I grabbed his arm and took him with me," Tre' gasped, still laughing hysterically.
"You two are idiots sometimes, you know that?" I laughed.
"And proud of it," Billie replied.
I held out my hand to help Billie up while Mike did the same for Tre'. They were still laughing a little bit.
"Well, good morning," Billie said cheerfully, giving me a kiss on my cheek and walking into the kitchen. Mike followed him, leaving Tre' and me alone in the hall.
"So, you excited about tonight?" Tre' asked me.
"Very," I replied. "Why won't you tell me?"
"I want you to be surprised," he replied, giving me a smile. "But you should wear a dress, I think it would look better."
"Wow, sounds fancy, especially for you."
"Hey, I can be fancy."
"Oh yeah?" I teased.
"Yeah."
"Then I trust you," I replied with a nod and a smile.
"I'm glad somebody does," the drummer said, putting his arm around shoulders and giving me a small kiss.

I was digging through my closet, trying to find a nice, flowing dress I could wear for Carrie and Tre' Night. I came across a strapless black dress that I forgot I had. I pulled it out and held it against myself while I looked in the mirror. I went a little past my feet and it looked like it could still fit. I slipped it on and looked at myself again in the mirror. It hugged me in just the right places and I didn't trip over it when I tried walking around. It was perfect. I took it off and laid it on my bed and dug out a pair of black high heels from the pile of shoes that had collected at the bottom of my closet. I took out a pair of black stockings and laid it next to the dress on my bed. It was only 6 o'clock, and Tre' said to be ready by 8 o'clock so I had time. I decided to go and get something to drink before I started to get ready.
I went into the kitchen and took a can of diet Pepsi out of the fridge. I went into the living room and turned the TV on. I watched a rerun of Spongebob Squarepants that was on. You're never too old to watch cartoons.
When it was over, I checked the clock. 6:45. I decided it was time to start getting ready. I tossed the empty soda can in the recycling bin outside my back door and went back up to my room. I put on my outfit and grabbed my make-up case and some hair stuff and took them all into the bathroom so I could continue getting ready.
I put my hair up in a bun and held it together with two wooden sticks that reminded me of chopsticks. I put some bobby pins in my hair to hold down any stray pieces that could fall out. I then picked up my make-up kit and applied some sparkly foundation, then some light blush. After that, I applied some black eyeliner and picked out a nice, deep shade of lipstick. I curled my eyelashes, then put on some mascara, trying hard not to poke myself in the eye.
When I had applied all of my make-up, I did a mirror check to make sure there was no smudging and everything was in place. I stepped in front of the full-body mirror in my bedroom and did a wardrobe check. Everything that shouldn't be shown was hidden and I didn't have any stains or smudges anywhere. I looked good, I'm not gonna lie. I'm one to practice modesty whenever I can, but I was abandoning that at the moment and appreciating my body and my looks for once. Since I was ready, I checked the alarm clock next to my bed. 7:30. I wondered if Tre' was ready yet. I didn't think that he was, so I spent an about 15 minutes putting everything back in its place and tidying up a bit. When I was finished, it was about 7:45. I decided to go downstairs and wait for Tre,' if he wasn't already dressed and waiting. But before I could even reach the door, I heard someone calling me.
"Carrie! Are you ready?" It was Tre.'
"Yeah, I'm coming!" I responded, opening my door and walking down the hall.
I slowly descended the stairs. I wanted to make a somewhat dramatic entrance since I'd never really gotten the chance before. What I saw when I got downstairs was pretty satisfying. All three of the guys were standing around, giving me awestruck looks.
"Wow, Carrie, you look..." Billie began.
"Beautiful," Mike finished.
"Thanks," I replied with a huge smile.
"But she's MY date!" Tre' exclaimed running over and putting a protective arm around my waist. "Back off."
"You're too kind, Tre,'" I laughed.
"Don't worry, man, I'm already taken," Billie said, holding up his left hand that had his wedding band.
"I won't steal her, either, Tre,' don't worry," Mike said.
"Okay, good, just thought I'd warn you two," Tre' replied, releasing me and walking over to get my coat. He helped me put on my coat, then took my keys out of the basket by the door.
"I think we're ready to go," he said, turning back to me.
"All right," I said, walking over.
"Have fun tonight," Mike said, giving me a hug.
"Yeah, and if Tre' lands you in jail, call us and we'll get you out," Billie joked, giving me a hug, too.
"We're not gonna get arrested," Tre' said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not careless all the time."
"You are most of the time," Billie said, pointing at the drummer.
"But not ALL the time," Tre' responded, pointing back.
"That's enough, you two. You can argue later," I said, breaking up the small argument.
"She's right, we have to go anyway," Tre' said, checking his watch.
"Bye guys. Don't burn my house down or piss off the neighbors while we're gone," I said, while Tre' ushered me out the door.
"We'll try not to," Mike called from the couch.
Tre' and I stepped out into the brisk night air. I was glad he'd given me my coat.
I stopped for a second and looked him up and down. He was wearing a smart looking suit. His blazer and pants were dark blue and his tie was striped blue and yellow. His shirt was white. It looked like it had been recently bleached. He looked pretty damn spiffy, if you ask me.
"You look good," I told him.
"I do, don't I?" he replied, flicking up his collar.
"Modesty isn't your strong point, is it?" I asked him as we walked over to my car.
"Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Depends on how I'm feeling," he explained, holding my door open for me.
"And tonight you're feeling pretty good about yourself, aren't you?" I said, getting into the car.
"You could say that," he replied, getting into the driver's seat. "But I don't look NEARLY as good as you do."
"You're pretty sweet, you know that?" I said, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "When you're not making an ass of yourself."
"Then this might be a once in a lifetime event," he replied, pretending to act surprised. I laughed as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
The ride wasn't very long. It was enjoyable nonetheless. We talked and joked the entire time. Silence is hard to avoid when you're with Tre.'
Tre' pulled up in front of a restaurant called The Garden. Not Olive Garden, just The Garden. I'd driven past it a couple times, but it had never really held much of an appeal for me. Plus, I could never afford it, so that didn't help.
"Oh my God, Tre.' THIS is your surprise?" I asked happily.
"Yup, this is it," he said, pulling the keys out of the ignition and handing them to me so I could put them in my purse.
"Wow, when you say "surprise," you mean "surprise." I said as Tre' opened my door for me.
"Don't get all excited just yet, the night just started," he said, putting his arm around my waist and leading me through the double doors. We walked over to the host's desk and Tre' cleared his throat. The young girl who was standing there looked up from the book she was writing in and almost squealed. "Looks like we're in the presence of a Green Day fan," I thought to myself.
"Can...can I help you?" the girl stammered. I tried hard not to smile as big as I wanted to.
"Yes, I made a reservation for two earlier this week. It's under the name Wright," Tre' told her like a gentleman.
"Oh, um, yes, it's right here," the girl said, still awestruck. She grabbed two menus from her post and turned back to us. "Um, if you'll just follow me, we have your table all set."
She led us through the restaurant. It was beautiful. There were potted plants and fountains everywhere. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling that sparkled every time you looked at them. There was a huge wooden dance floor in the middle of the room. A few couples were out there already, slow dancing to the classical music that was coming through the speakers that were placed all around. All of the patrons were dressed in their finest. Some were kind of old, some were middle-aged, and I even spotted a few couples who looked to be about my age. I guess this place attracted all kinds of people.
"Here we are," the hostess said, gesturing towards a small square table draped in a white tablecloth. It had a small flickering candle and a single rose as the centerpiece.
"Thank you," Tre' said as he held out my chair for me.
"No problem...sir," the hostess hesitated. I don't blame her. Calling Tre' "sir" is a little weird. She handed him the menus, gave us a shaky smile, then scurried back to her post. I laughed a little as I watched her back disappear. Tre' handed me a menu and we both sat in silence, trying to figure out what we wanted.
"Go ahead and pick out whatever the hell you want, money's not a problem," Tre' said, breaking the silence.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Positive. And don't try to talk me out of it either," he said, pointing to me. "I want tonight to be the best you ever had."
"Well, it's starting off quite nice, so you're getting there," I told him, turning back to my menu.
After the waiter had come over and taken our orders, we sat and talked some more. It was really pretty nice, just relaxing and talking with one of my best friends.
Our food arrived shortly and we both started eating, but not before another waiter came over and offered us the finest red wine that they had available. Tre' accepted on behalf of both of us (what a surprise) and the waiter left the bottle for us. Tre' poured some in each of our glasses and set the bottle back down. He took a sip from his own glass. I followed suit. It takes a lot for me to get drunk, so I was pretty safe. I wasn't so sure about Tre.' I hoped he wouldn't overdo it. But I had a feeling that he would stay sober for me.
After we'd finished our food, Tre' asked me if I wanted to dance. I accepted and he led me out to the middle of the dance floor. There were still a few couples out there, so we weren't exactly the center of attention. But we definitely got some stares from the younger couples who probably had an idea as to who Tre' was. I didn't mind, though. I was having too good a time.
When we got to the center, Tre' took one of my hands in his and placed his other hand on my waist. I placed my other hand on his shoulder and we swayed back and forth to the soft music. Tre' was very good at leading, which surprised me since I'd never seen him move as slow and gracefully as he was. He was always like a wind-up monkey, never keeping still for very long.
We danced for what felt like an eternity, and I enjoyed every second of it. We talked a little, but for the most part, we just smiled at each other. I would have put my head on his shoulder, but since I had two sticks poking out of my hair, I was afraid I might poke his eye out. So I settled for just gazing at him, as cheesy as that may sound. It was an excellent feeling, though. The feeling of just being out with someone who you loved and cared for. I almost felt guilty for having such a good time with Tre' when I was dating Tim. ALMOST.
When we both got tired of standing, we headed back to our table and had another drink.
"You having as good a time as I am?" Tre' asked me, folding his hands on top of the table.
"I would definitely say so," I replied, taking a sip from my glass.
"I'm happy to hear it," he replied, placing his hand on mine and flashing me a huge smile.

Tre' stayed sober, so he drove us home. The drive was peaceful. We were both pretty tired so we weren't as hyper as on the drive over. We still chit-chatted and joked a little, but generally things were a bit more relaxed.
When we got back to my house, all the lights were out. I found a note written in Billie's untidy scrawl stating that he and Mike had gone to Mosh and wouldn't be back until late. I took the note off the door and folded it up. I hadn't taken two steps inside my house before I saw something that made my stomach drop. There, sitting on the table, was an enormous bouquet of red roses. I went over and pulled out the card. They were from Tim. Oh...crap.
"What are those?" Tre' asked, pointing to the flowers.
"Um, it says they're from Tim," I said shakily.
All happiness had been erased from Tre's face. The expression he wore now made me want to cry. He looked absolutely miserable. Crushed, even.
"Oh, they're from TIM," he said, turning his back to me and stepping into the living room. He flipped on one of the lamps and plopped down on the couch. He leaned over and held his face in his hands. I really wanted to cry now.
"Tre'?" I said cautiously, walking over to him and sitting down on the couch.
"What?" he snapped, not lifting his head.
"What do you have against Tim?"
He raised his head and stared me straight in the eyes. He looked a little angry and it scared me. "What do I have against Tim?" he repeated, giving me a questioning look. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now, Carrie." He paused for moment, still staring at me intensely. "I...I love you."
I felt like I had been smacked in the face. This couldn't be happening. Not Tre.' I'd known Tre' for over a decade. And if what he said was true, why hadn't he told me before now? Before I had started dating Tim? But before I had time to ask any of my piercing questions, Tre' did something I never would have imagined. He leaned in and kissed me. But it wasn't like any of the other times he had given me a kiss. Before his kisses were friendly and light. This time it was passionate and deep. My mind was reeling. What was I doing? What was happening?
"Tre'..." I murmured against his lips, "Should we be..."
"Shhhh...it doesn't matter, whatever you're thinking. All that matters is that you're here, with me, and I love you," he whispered against my lips. "Carrie and Tre' Night isn't over yet." He took one of his hands and placed it behind my neck. He pulled away for a second and looked at me. His eyes were alive with the happiness that he always had about him. He was smiling one of the widest smiles I had ever seen. Instead of listening to the small amount of guilt that was surfacing inside of me, I did something that surprised myself AND Tre.' I kissed him back. More passionately than I had ever kissed anyone. I wrapped my arms around Tre's neck while he cupped my face in his hands. He kissed me back, lovingly. We laid back on the couch and continued. My mind was vacant of all rational thought. All I was thinking about was being with Tre.'
I slipped off my jacket and flung it across the room, not caring where it landed. Tre' reached up and pulled the two sticks in my hair out and dropped them on the floor. My hair tumbled down and cascaded onto my shoulders. I smiled against Tre's lips as I pulled his blazer off of him and tossed it over my head. I still wasn't thinking. The only concern I had was that Billie and Mike wouldn't get home any time soon.
Somehow, Tre' and I ended up on the floor. I felt warm, wrapped in Tre's arms while he stroked my hair and kissed my neck. Clothes were scattered all over the living room. And, from what I could tell, Tre's pants had landed on a lamp, making the room considerably dimmer, which only added to the romantic atmosphere, if you could call it that. The only romantic thing was Tre's and my actions. They were nothing BUT romantic.
Tre' was hovering above me, propped up on his arms. He was smiling down at me and I couldn't help but smile back. He just seemed so happy. He began laying kisses up my neck. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. This only encouraged him. He began kissing me again. I kissed back with every passionate feeling I had. I could tell Tre' wanted me as much as I wanted him.
When Tre' reached his peak, he sighed and collapsed on my chest. I stroked his hair with one hand. He took my other hand and laid a gentle kiss on it. He lifted his head and looked up at me. He was wearing a weary smile. Weary, but happy.
"Wow," he said, "that was the best I ever had."
"Ditto," I said breathlessly, returning his smile. "This has to have been the best Carrie and Tre' Night ever."
"I'm glad you liked it, I did, too," he said, giving me a light kiss. "I told you my surprises were fun."
"I'll be looking forward to all of your surprises from now on," I told him.
"Then I will have a lot more for you to enjoy," he said sneakily.
"I can't wait, then." I paused for a second, just reveling in the warmth of Tre's body, then a thought struck me. I looked up at the clock on the VCR. It read 1:34.
"Tre'?" I said.
"Hm?" he murmured, lying on my bare chest.
"It's after 1:30, I think that Billie and Mike are gonna come home soon," I told him, pointing up at the VCR. "I think we should probably get dressed."
"Aw, do we have to?" he whined.
"Yes, I would say so," I laughed.
"Fine," he said, standing up and beginning to gather his clothes that were strewn all over. I got up and began picking my own clothing up. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I couldn't believe what I'd done. But there was no use for regrets, what was done, was done, and it couldn't be changed. I didn't regret it, though. That worried me a bit.
Tre' and I both went up to our rooms and put on a new outfit. We met each other out in the hallway. We didn't speak, we just smiled. Tre' snaked his arm around my waist and gave me a long kiss. The only thing that broke us apart was the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. We both looked at each other and ran down the stairs and into the living room, flipped on the TV, and jumped onto the couch. Tre' spread his arms out along the back and I rested my head on him. Suspicion was not needed right now.
The door opened and in walked Billie and Mike. They both seemed a little tired.
"Hey, you two," Mike said when he noticed us. "How was your night?"
"We had a great time," Tre' said, a huge smiling painted on his face.
"We did," I said. "How was Mosh?"
"Not bad, there were some pretty good bands playing and Billie didn't get drunk," he said, pointing over his shoulder at his guitarist friend.
"Yeah, so don't worry, I won't puke in your bathroom again," he said.
"Happy to hear it," I replied with a small laugh.
A second or two passed, then Mike yawned and said, "Okay, I'm going to bed. 'Night everyone."
"'Night Mike," I called after him.
Billie walked over and sat next to me. He let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Hm? Oh, nothing. I'm just tired," he replied, brushing off my question.
"You sure?" I pressed.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he said, giving me a small kiss on the temple.
"Hey, I told you she was mine!" Tre' said, pointing at Billie.
"Oops, forgot. Sorry," Billie laughed. I laughed, too, hoping that Tre' wasn't serious. I didn't want anyone to suspect anything until I got all my thoughts and priorities in order.
All three of us sat there for a while and watched TV. My mind was still reeling from what had happened earlier.
When we all went upstairs to turn in for the night, Billie was in his room first, since it was the closest to the stairs. Tre' took advantage of the opportunity and gave me another kiss before heading into his room.
I sat in my bed for a long time, just trying to get my thoughts back in order. I was so confused. I felt like I loved Tre' the way he loved me, but I thought I loved Tim? Did I love them both? My brain hurt from all the heavy duty thinking. I decided to put off thinking until later. I was tired. I turned out my light and lay back on my pillow, staring up at the dark ceiling. Before I fell asleep, one final thought flashed in my mind. I think I love Tre'...