Romance of a Rock Band
The Mall
Annie
We got to the gym at about 11:00 and dropped Tony off.
“See you guys later!” he said happily.
“Bye!” I said moving to the front seat from the back one, where I had been sitting.
“I’ll come get you in two hours,” said Monique.
“He seems very happy,” I said after he had left.
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone loves the gym like he does,” she answered.
“How often does he come here?” I asked her.
“Umm, three times a week for training, and then two other days,” she said.
“That’s a lot,” I said.
“Yeah, it is,” she answered. I noticed that we weren’t moving.
“Are you alright, Annie?” she asked me.
“Umm, yeah, I guess so,” I said, not really knowing what she meant. “Why?”
“Well, because you were pretty sick back there,” she answered.
“Oh, yeah. I’m okay now. The tea really helped.” I said feeling slightly stupid.
“That’s good. Do you know what brought it on? You weren’t sick when we left the house, were you?” she asked.
“Just some stuff I was thinking about,” I said. “Nothing really.”
“If it made you sick, it wasn’t ‘nothing’!” she said. We still weren’t moving. “Tell me what it was.”
“It just upsets me a lot when people start fighting, and some other stuff brought back memories of my mother, and thinking about her made me think about the day she died, and that’s a really hard thing for me to think about,” I blurted out.
“Oh,” she said, suddenly becoming quiet. “Well, ummm, I’m sure it’s hard for anyone to think about the day they were told their mother died.”
“It’s different,” I said in almost a whisper. I was trying hard not to cry.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I wasn’t told my mother was dead. I was there. I saw her die,” I said, even quieter than before. I had tears on my face now and was starting to feel nauseas again. My hand went to my stomach.
“Oh, Annie,” she said. I looked over at her to see that she was almost in tears too. She started the car and we left the parking lot. We were silent for a little while and it was starting to feel just a little awkward.
“So, what does Tony do to make him have to go to the gym so much?” I asked. I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about. I knew I had to get my mind on something else or I was going to throw up again and I didn’t really want to do it in the car.
“He’s a professional boxer,” she answered. She looked happy that I had said something.
“Wow,” I said. “Do you go to his matches?”
“Some of them,” she answered. “Some of them are too far away though. He’s had to stay in a hotel before.”
“Oh,” was all I could think of to say. I waited a few seconds. “Do you work?” I asked.
“Sometimes, when Tony’s having a hard time finding matches I get a part-time job somewhere,” she answered. “I don’t have a job right now though.”
“Oh, so you should be home most of the time then,” I said.
“Yeah, unless I have shopping to do,” she said laughing. She was much more relaxed now and my stomach was starting to feel a little better. We were quiet for a few minutes.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I don’t know yet,” she answered.
“Oh,” I said.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” she said.
“I don’t care,” I said.
“Okay,” she said. She paused for a second. “Do you want to go to the mall?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. I’d never been there before.
“Then that’s where we’re going!” she said excitedly. She must like the mall. “We should grab something to eat though,” she said smiling.
“Ummm, I guess so,” I said uncertainly and my hand went back to my stomach. It still hurt a lot.
“Oh, maybe we should wait,” she said, looking at me.
“I think so too,” I said gratefully and we were quiet for the half hour ride there.
“Wow,” I said.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s big,” I said, a little mystified.
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s the mall.”
“I know, I just didn’t expect it to be this big,” I said.
“What do you mean you didn’t expect it to be this big?” she asked.
“I’ve never been to the mall before,” I answered.
“How can you have never been to the mall before?” she asked.
“No one ever took me there and I never had a ride to get there myself,” I said.
“Well, now you have,” she said happily.
“I guess so,” I said. And we went inside.
We got to the gym at about 11:00 and dropped Tony off.
“See you guys later!” he said happily.
“Bye!” I said moving to the front seat from the back one, where I had been sitting.
“I’ll come get you in two hours,” said Monique.
“He seems very happy,” I said after he had left.
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone loves the gym like he does,” she answered.
“How often does he come here?” I asked her.
“Umm, three times a week for training, and then two other days,” she said.
“That’s a lot,” I said.
“Yeah, it is,” she answered. I noticed that we weren’t moving.
“Are you alright, Annie?” she asked me.
“Umm, yeah, I guess so,” I said, not really knowing what she meant. “Why?”
“Well, because you were pretty sick back there,” she answered.
“Oh, yeah. I’m okay now. The tea really helped.” I said feeling slightly stupid.
“That’s good. Do you know what brought it on? You weren’t sick when we left the house, were you?” she asked.
“Just some stuff I was thinking about,” I said. “Nothing really.”
“If it made you sick, it wasn’t ‘nothing’!” she said. We still weren’t moving. “Tell me what it was.”
“It just upsets me a lot when people start fighting, and some other stuff brought back memories of my mother, and thinking about her made me think about the day she died, and that’s a really hard thing for me to think about,” I blurted out.
“Oh,” she said, suddenly becoming quiet. “Well, ummm, I’m sure it’s hard for anyone to think about the day they were told their mother died.”
“It’s different,” I said in almost a whisper. I was trying hard not to cry.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I wasn’t told my mother was dead. I was there. I saw her die,” I said, even quieter than before. I had tears on my face now and was starting to feel nauseas again. My hand went to my stomach.
“Oh, Annie,” she said. I looked over at her to see that she was almost in tears too. She started the car and we left the parking lot. We were silent for a little while and it was starting to feel just a little awkward.
“So, what does Tony do to make him have to go to the gym so much?” I asked. I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about. I knew I had to get my mind on something else or I was going to throw up again and I didn’t really want to do it in the car.
“He’s a professional boxer,” she answered. She looked happy that I had said something.
“Wow,” I said. “Do you go to his matches?”
“Some of them,” she answered. “Some of them are too far away though. He’s had to stay in a hotel before.”
“Oh,” was all I could think of to say. I waited a few seconds. “Do you work?” I asked.
“Sometimes, when Tony’s having a hard time finding matches I get a part-time job somewhere,” she answered. “I don’t have a job right now though.”
“Oh, so you should be home most of the time then,” I said.
“Yeah, unless I have shopping to do,” she said laughing. She was much more relaxed now and my stomach was starting to feel a little better. We were quiet for a few minutes.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I don’t know yet,” she answered.
“Oh,” I said.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” she said.
“I don’t care,” I said.
“Okay,” she said. She paused for a second. “Do you want to go to the mall?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. I’d never been there before.
“Then that’s where we’re going!” she said excitedly. She must like the mall. “We should grab something to eat though,” she said smiling.
“Ummm, I guess so,” I said uncertainly and my hand went back to my stomach. It still hurt a lot.
“Oh, maybe we should wait,” she said, looking at me.
“I think so too,” I said gratefully and we were quiet for the half hour ride there.
“Wow,” I said.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s big,” I said, a little mystified.
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s the mall.”
“I know, I just didn’t expect it to be this big,” I said.
“What do you mean you didn’t expect it to be this big?” she asked.
“I’ve never been to the mall before,” I answered.
“How can you have never been to the mall before?” she asked.
“No one ever took me there and I never had a ride to get there myself,” I said.
“Well, now you have,” she said happily.
“I guess so,” I said. And we went inside.