Tre's Angel
If You Can't Handle It...End It
“He’s been gone for over an hour,” said Billie “what shall we do?”
“I’m not sure,” said Adi, “but its pouring with rain, what was he wearing?” she said turning to Angel.
“Just a t shirt and jeans,” said Angel in a quiet voice. She was sitting on the sofa in a slight state of shock.
“And he didn’t say anything?” asked Mike looking at the pale faced girl on the sofa. He felt so sorry for her.
“Nothing… he just turned and went.” She was staring now, staring into space. She couldn’t believe that she was in this situation at all. How the fuck did I get here? She thought, hating herself for getting involved with Tre but then she felt glad, it was her last chance and she couldn’t have wished for anyone better.
“He’s not answering his phone,” said Angel, “I’ve left him a voicemail.”
Everyone was shocked and they sat around in silence.
First the news that Ronnie told them about Angel and now she’d obviously told Tre and he’d disappeared.
“Its all my fault,” said Angel. “You were right, you were always right. I couldn’t help it. He’s lovely and I… we… it just happened.”
“Don’t be stupid,” said Ronnie going to her.
“I… I had to tell him… otherwise I felt like I was cheating him.” She said, sobbing into Ronnie’s shoulder.
“Oh Angel,” said Adrienne coming over and sitting the other side of her.
“I love him so much Adrienne and I didn’t want to hurt him. I don’t know what to do for the best. The way he looked at me, like me hated me for spoiling everything, then he was gone before I could explain.”
**
When Tre left the hotel he just walked and walked, Angel’s words flooding his brain.
I’m dying.
No. Fucking. Way.
How?
Why?
He didn’t know where he as going, he wasn’t going anywhere in particular, he just kept on walking.
He could feel his phone vibrating every now and again in his pocket, missed calls and messages but he just ignored them, kept right on walking.
Then it started raining and he caught a taxi back to the hotel but didn’t go in. Instead he went into the bar across the road and ordered a brandy, a double. Then two more. Doubles.
He listened to his messages, first Angel’s voice, so pure and sweet.
Tre where are you? I’m so worried about you, I’m sorry… I didn’t want to tell you but I had to. Please… I love you Tre.
Then she was gone.
Gone.
When was she going?
I’m dying.
Knocking back his drink he ordered yet another and listened to the second message from Billie.
Tre we’re worried dude. Give me a call and let me know you’re ok.
Then Mike.
Hey Tre give one of us a call, we can come and get you… just... call up man… tell us where you are, are you OK?
Then Ronnie last of all.
Tre. I know you’re hurting, just… take care man. Come back, I think you need to speak to her. Don’t do this to yourself and don’t do it to her. She loves you but I think you must already know that.
She loves you.
Loves.
Love.
I love you too Angel.
Tre finished his drink and walked across the road to go back into the hotel.
**
He slipped quietly into the sitting room area. They were all there apart from Angel. All there waiting for him. Adrienne was on the sofa, her legs curled up next to her picking at a loose cotton on her sweatshirt, Mike sitting stiffly at a table turning over and over a box of matches.
Billie was pacing and smoking and Ronnie was over by the window looking out at nothing in particular, also smoking. They didn’t know he was there.
“I knew you two couldn’t quit the smoking. I should have put some money on that.” Said Tre finally.
”Tre,” they all said simultaneously. Then they were over to him, crowding round him, seeing if he was OK.
“Where is she?” said Tre, not to one particular person, just anyone who could answer him.
“She’s asleep,” said Ronnie.
“I thought she would be,” said Tre walking over to the sofa slumping down onto it but sitting forward and resting his head in his hands.
He sat there for what seemed like ages but it was only for a minute. Everyone was watching him; he could feel their eyes on him. He spoke, still with his head in his hands.
“I love her.”
“We know,” said Adrienne. She hated seeing their friend like this. The life and soul of the party was like a broken man.
“Yeah, that’s obvious,” said Billie. He felt sick and had felt sick since all this happened.
“When… when did you guys find out?” said Tre looking up at them all.
”Earlier,” said Mike. “Ronnie had to tell us, it was eating at him.”
“Tre, I’m so sorry,” said Ronnie.
“I can see now, I can see why you didn’t want me near her, because…”
Then Ronnie finished the sentence for him.
“She has no future.”
“Shit man,” said Billie turning away and putting his hands up to his face.
“It’s true, she has no future, she can’t get married or have children, this is it for her. She lives for the moment, but it’s starting to get harder.”
“We can get other opinions, what’s her problem? She looks healthy enough,” said Mike.
“It’s her heart. She has this rare condition that she was born with but wasn’t discovered until she was 15, ten years ago. That’s it, she’s on the transplant list but they don’t think they’ll get a match. She has a rare blood group too which makes it so much more difficult to get a match.”
“Lets get her to America, we have good doctors. What about Switzerland? They have the best doctors there.” Tre stood up then looking expectant and slightly full of hope.
“I have money… I could do something here.” He said, this weird look across his face.
“Tre,” said Ronnie but Tre wasn’t listening, he started walking about the room, running his hand around his hair, ideas forming in his mind.
“Yeah… I’ll take her home with me and…”
“Tre,” said Billie hating this. Hating this so much.
“She couldn’t cope with that flight.” Said Ronnie watching Tre working himself up.
“Then…. Then I’ll fly the doctors here… yeah, I’ll do that.” His eyes were weird, glazed over almost.
“Tre,” said Mike, “stop it dude, calm down.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” said Ronnie, “there’s nothing any of us can do. Don’t you think we’ve been through this over the years? We’ve accepted it and so has she.”
“No.” Said Tre slumping to the floor. “I can’t… I can’t accept it … I love her,” he cried out.
“I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do,” he said rocking back and forth and repeating the words over and over.
“Well,” said Ronnie, “if you cant handle it then end it now. She’ll understand you know Tre.”
“I’m not sure,” said Adi, “but its pouring with rain, what was he wearing?” she said turning to Angel.
“Just a t shirt and jeans,” said Angel in a quiet voice. She was sitting on the sofa in a slight state of shock.
“And he didn’t say anything?” asked Mike looking at the pale faced girl on the sofa. He felt so sorry for her.
“Nothing… he just turned and went.” She was staring now, staring into space. She couldn’t believe that she was in this situation at all. How the fuck did I get here? She thought, hating herself for getting involved with Tre but then she felt glad, it was her last chance and she couldn’t have wished for anyone better.
“He’s not answering his phone,” said Angel, “I’ve left him a voicemail.”
Everyone was shocked and they sat around in silence.
First the news that Ronnie told them about Angel and now she’d obviously told Tre and he’d disappeared.
“Its all my fault,” said Angel. “You were right, you were always right. I couldn’t help it. He’s lovely and I… we… it just happened.”
“Don’t be stupid,” said Ronnie going to her.
“I… I had to tell him… otherwise I felt like I was cheating him.” She said, sobbing into Ronnie’s shoulder.
“Oh Angel,” said Adrienne coming over and sitting the other side of her.
“I love him so much Adrienne and I didn’t want to hurt him. I don’t know what to do for the best. The way he looked at me, like me hated me for spoiling everything, then he was gone before I could explain.”
**
When Tre left the hotel he just walked and walked, Angel’s words flooding his brain.
I’m dying.
No. Fucking. Way.
How?
Why?
He didn’t know where he as going, he wasn’t going anywhere in particular, he just kept on walking.
He could feel his phone vibrating every now and again in his pocket, missed calls and messages but he just ignored them, kept right on walking.
Then it started raining and he caught a taxi back to the hotel but didn’t go in. Instead he went into the bar across the road and ordered a brandy, a double. Then two more. Doubles.
He listened to his messages, first Angel’s voice, so pure and sweet.
Tre where are you? I’m so worried about you, I’m sorry… I didn’t want to tell you but I had to. Please… I love you Tre.
Then she was gone.
Gone.
When was she going?
I’m dying.
Knocking back his drink he ordered yet another and listened to the second message from Billie.
Tre we’re worried dude. Give me a call and let me know you’re ok.
Then Mike.
Hey Tre give one of us a call, we can come and get you… just... call up man… tell us where you are, are you OK?
Then Ronnie last of all.
Tre. I know you’re hurting, just… take care man. Come back, I think you need to speak to her. Don’t do this to yourself and don’t do it to her. She loves you but I think you must already know that.
She loves you.
Loves.
Love.
I love you too Angel.
Tre finished his drink and walked across the road to go back into the hotel.
**
He slipped quietly into the sitting room area. They were all there apart from Angel. All there waiting for him. Adrienne was on the sofa, her legs curled up next to her picking at a loose cotton on her sweatshirt, Mike sitting stiffly at a table turning over and over a box of matches.
Billie was pacing and smoking and Ronnie was over by the window looking out at nothing in particular, also smoking. They didn’t know he was there.
“I knew you two couldn’t quit the smoking. I should have put some money on that.” Said Tre finally.
”Tre,” they all said simultaneously. Then they were over to him, crowding round him, seeing if he was OK.
“Where is she?” said Tre, not to one particular person, just anyone who could answer him.
“She’s asleep,” said Ronnie.
“I thought she would be,” said Tre walking over to the sofa slumping down onto it but sitting forward and resting his head in his hands.
He sat there for what seemed like ages but it was only for a minute. Everyone was watching him; he could feel their eyes on him. He spoke, still with his head in his hands.
“I love her.”
“We know,” said Adrienne. She hated seeing their friend like this. The life and soul of the party was like a broken man.
“Yeah, that’s obvious,” said Billie. He felt sick and had felt sick since all this happened.
“When… when did you guys find out?” said Tre looking up at them all.
”Earlier,” said Mike. “Ronnie had to tell us, it was eating at him.”
“Tre, I’m so sorry,” said Ronnie.
“I can see now, I can see why you didn’t want me near her, because…”
Then Ronnie finished the sentence for him.
“She has no future.”
“Shit man,” said Billie turning away and putting his hands up to his face.
“It’s true, she has no future, she can’t get married or have children, this is it for her. She lives for the moment, but it’s starting to get harder.”
“We can get other opinions, what’s her problem? She looks healthy enough,” said Mike.
“It’s her heart. She has this rare condition that she was born with but wasn’t discovered until she was 15, ten years ago. That’s it, she’s on the transplant list but they don’t think they’ll get a match. She has a rare blood group too which makes it so much more difficult to get a match.”
“Lets get her to America, we have good doctors. What about Switzerland? They have the best doctors there.” Tre stood up then looking expectant and slightly full of hope.
“I have money… I could do something here.” He said, this weird look across his face.
“Tre,” said Ronnie but Tre wasn’t listening, he started walking about the room, running his hand around his hair, ideas forming in his mind.
“Yeah… I’ll take her home with me and…”
“Tre,” said Billie hating this. Hating this so much.
“She couldn’t cope with that flight.” Said Ronnie watching Tre working himself up.
“Then…. Then I’ll fly the doctors here… yeah, I’ll do that.” His eyes were weird, glazed over almost.
“Tre,” said Mike, “stop it dude, calm down.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” said Ronnie, “there’s nothing any of us can do. Don’t you think we’ve been through this over the years? We’ve accepted it and so has she.”
“No.” Said Tre slumping to the floor. “I can’t… I can’t accept it … I love her,” he cried out.
“I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do,” he said rocking back and forth and repeating the words over and over.
“Well,” said Ronnie, “if you cant handle it then end it now. She’ll understand you know Tre.”