Gutter ***s
Goddamn it Tre!
I rock back and forth nervously on my bed; Tre is bound to be back any minute now. I look around the room, two beds. Tre’s and Mike’s. Mike is always slept over at Anastasia, and if he does sleep here, he sleeps on the couch. The whole basement apartment is pretty disgusting, no one cleans unless the smell becomes unbearable. The kitchen is infested with ants half the time. This hasn’t really bothered me up to now.
The sound of the three men, boys, whatever, coming through the door grabs my undivided attention immediately. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
“Lisea, there you are.” Tre’s voice rings out happily as he makes his way over to me. I fake a smile, “Okay, everything is set, we’re doing Lollapalooza this summer!”
“That’s great.” I say trying to keep from wailing out.
“I mean this is big, real big, bigger than anything.” He rambles, oh god was he wrong, “Oh and Billie said that Adie is moving to California, or she’s just visiting for the summer or something like that, which is probably for the best because he really needs to get laid and-“ he tilts his head to the left, “You okay?” I nod as I feel my eyes welling up but I manage to hold back my tears, “You lost your job?” he sighs. This conclusion brought upon because I’m almost always late for work, half the time because of him.
“No.” I say quietly, “I don’t know how to say this.” He tilts his head to the right then leans in to kiss me.
“C’mon you can tell me anything.” He says with a dorky grin.
“Promise you love me no matter what?” I ask with big eyes.
“I love you, now what’s going on?” he asks freaking out a bit. I can’t bring myself to say the words for what seems like hours.
“I’m pregnant.”
Tre’s jaw drops and he backs away from the bed and makes a bunch of incoherent squeaks and shrieks.
“Are you serious?” he gasps.
“The test is still in the washroom if you want to see.” I mumble as I pull my legs to my chest.
“I-I-I,” he gasps, “I-I need to- I’ll be back later.” He stutters then he stumbles out of the room.
I hear several more shrieks, gasps, and squeaks before hearing the front door open and close. I cry quietly into my knees. Someone knocks gently on the open door; I sniff and wipe my eyes before looking up to see Mike standing there.
“I take it the pregnancy test in the bathroom sink is yours, huh?” he says calmly.
“Yep.” I murmur.
“Didn’t know if it was yours or Anastasia’s before Tre came out of the room going berserks.”
“How can I be so stupid.” I murmur, “Forget to take a simple pill for a couple of days and- God, what’s Tre going to do?”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a few minutes, better him freaking out there then in front of you.”
“But, but.”
“He’ll run ‘round the block a couple of times, get his thoughts in order come back and he’ll have his arms wrapped around you in five minutes tops.” Mike says confidently.
“Ye-ahhh, you’re right.” I say as I cry a little more.
I hear the front door click open and closed.
“Hey, where’s the van?” Anastasia’s voice calls as she comes closer to the van.
“Fuck Tre.” Mike mutters, Tre took the van, I have the feeling he’ll be gone a little longer than five minuters.
“Uhh, what’s going on?” she asks as she glances from me to Mike to me again. Mike gives me a look as if to ask Can I tell her? I nod as I wipe my eyes.
“Lisea’s pregnant and Tre freaked out.” he says a little above a whisper. Ana whispers something back and Mike leaves the room. She quietly heads over to the window and opens the curtains to let in load of sunshine. She sits at the foot of the bed and looks at me.
“So, how far along are you?” she asks finally.
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen the doctor yet, I just took a home test.” I mumble.
“Mike and I had a scare, back in February.” She says as if to comfort me, “But Tre’s just being immature, he’ll come back in half an hour or so and everything will be fine.”
“Not only Tre,” I sigh, “We can’t keep living her with a kid, and my parents, argh fuck, they don’t like Tre already.” Next thing I know she’s giving me a heart-felt hug.
“Listen, Mike and Billie would whoop Tre’s ass if he does anything jerky.” I chuckle a little into my hand.
“You and Mike had plans, you should get going.” I say quietly.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, like you said, Tre will be back soon.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” She says as she heads to the door slowly.
I lie down and fall asleep. I wake up to noise coming from the living room, its dark out now, so I must’ve slept a few hours.
“I know things are getting tougher, when you can’t get the top off the bottom of the barrel,” Billie Joe sings loudly, “Wide open road to my future now, its looking fucking narrow.” He seems to be getting closer, “All I know is that I don’t know, all I know is that I don’t know nothing,” he stops and looks into the room, turns around and walks away again, “Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, get told to decide, just like, as if I’m not going to change my mind.” He continues singing as I try to distract myself by looking at my blue painted toe nail. He comes towards the room again, this time singing a different song, “People try to put us down, talking ‘bout my generation. Just because we get around, talking ‘bout- Hey Lisea.”
“Hey Billie.” I sigh as he holds out two coffee mugs.
“So, umm Tre knocked you up?”
“Yeah.” I grunt as I roll my eyes.
“Hot chocolate?” he offers, putting one mug forward.
“Thanks.” I mumble sheepishly.
“I was gonna make coffee, but then I remembered when my sister was pregnant she didn’t drink coffee, apparently its bad for the baby.”
“Thanks.” I say with a weak smile, “Uhh, Tre hasn’t come back?” Billie looks uneasy for a second.
“Not yet.” He sighs. I take a sip from the hot chocolate.
“So I heard Adie’s coming to California.” As I say this, I can see Billie grin like a mad man.
“Yeah, apparently she’s got like the job of a lifetime or something here.”
“Or she’s got, a decent job and she’s coming to see you.” I say as I nudge him in the ribs. I yawn a little then look around the room, “Hey Bill, what time’s it?”
“A little after nine.” He says taking a sip from his mug.
“Fucking Tre.” I mutter under my breath.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Billie says softly, “It’ll be okay.” He puts down his coffee mug and hugs me. God, what’s with the hugs today? I just want Tre to be here, talking to me and not driving around probably getting high.
The sound of the three men, boys, whatever, coming through the door grabs my undivided attention immediately. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
“Lisea, there you are.” Tre’s voice rings out happily as he makes his way over to me. I fake a smile, “Okay, everything is set, we’re doing Lollapalooza this summer!”
“That’s great.” I say trying to keep from wailing out.
“I mean this is big, real big, bigger than anything.” He rambles, oh god was he wrong, “Oh and Billie said that Adie is moving to California, or she’s just visiting for the summer or something like that, which is probably for the best because he really needs to get laid and-“ he tilts his head to the left, “You okay?” I nod as I feel my eyes welling up but I manage to hold back my tears, “You lost your job?” he sighs. This conclusion brought upon because I’m almost always late for work, half the time because of him.
“No.” I say quietly, “I don’t know how to say this.” He tilts his head to the right then leans in to kiss me.
“C’mon you can tell me anything.” He says with a dorky grin.
“Promise you love me no matter what?” I ask with big eyes.
“I love you, now what’s going on?” he asks freaking out a bit. I can’t bring myself to say the words for what seems like hours.
“I’m pregnant.”
Tre’s jaw drops and he backs away from the bed and makes a bunch of incoherent squeaks and shrieks.
“Are you serious?” he gasps.
“The test is still in the washroom if you want to see.” I mumble as I pull my legs to my chest.
“I-I-I,” he gasps, “I-I need to- I’ll be back later.” He stutters then he stumbles out of the room.
I hear several more shrieks, gasps, and squeaks before hearing the front door open and close. I cry quietly into my knees. Someone knocks gently on the open door; I sniff and wipe my eyes before looking up to see Mike standing there.
“I take it the pregnancy test in the bathroom sink is yours, huh?” he says calmly.
“Yep.” I murmur.
“Didn’t know if it was yours or Anastasia’s before Tre came out of the room going berserks.”
“How can I be so stupid.” I murmur, “Forget to take a simple pill for a couple of days and- God, what’s Tre going to do?”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a few minutes, better him freaking out there then in front of you.”
“But, but.”
“He’ll run ‘round the block a couple of times, get his thoughts in order come back and he’ll have his arms wrapped around you in five minutes tops.” Mike says confidently.
“Ye-ahhh, you’re right.” I say as I cry a little more.
I hear the front door click open and closed.
“Hey, where’s the van?” Anastasia’s voice calls as she comes closer to the van.
“Fuck Tre.” Mike mutters, Tre took the van, I have the feeling he’ll be gone a little longer than five minuters.
“Uhh, what’s going on?” she asks as she glances from me to Mike to me again. Mike gives me a look as if to ask Can I tell her? I nod as I wipe my eyes.
“Lisea’s pregnant and Tre freaked out.” he says a little above a whisper. Ana whispers something back and Mike leaves the room. She quietly heads over to the window and opens the curtains to let in load of sunshine. She sits at the foot of the bed and looks at me.
“So, how far along are you?” she asks finally.
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen the doctor yet, I just took a home test.” I mumble.
“Mike and I had a scare, back in February.” She says as if to comfort me, “But Tre’s just being immature, he’ll come back in half an hour or so and everything will be fine.”
“Not only Tre,” I sigh, “We can’t keep living her with a kid, and my parents, argh fuck, they don’t like Tre already.” Next thing I know she’s giving me a heart-felt hug.
“Listen, Mike and Billie would whoop Tre’s ass if he does anything jerky.” I chuckle a little into my hand.
“You and Mike had plans, you should get going.” I say quietly.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, like you said, Tre will be back soon.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” She says as she heads to the door slowly.
I lie down and fall asleep. I wake up to noise coming from the living room, its dark out now, so I must’ve slept a few hours.
“I know things are getting tougher, when you can’t get the top off the bottom of the barrel,” Billie Joe sings loudly, “Wide open road to my future now, its looking fucking narrow.” He seems to be getting closer, “All I know is that I don’t know, all I know is that I don’t know nothing,” he stops and looks into the room, turns around and walks away again, “Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, get told to decide, just like, as if I’m not going to change my mind.” He continues singing as I try to distract myself by looking at my blue painted toe nail. He comes towards the room again, this time singing a different song, “People try to put us down, talking ‘bout my generation. Just because we get around, talking ‘bout- Hey Lisea.”
“Hey Billie.” I sigh as he holds out two coffee mugs.
“So, umm Tre knocked you up?”
“Yeah.” I grunt as I roll my eyes.
“Hot chocolate?” he offers, putting one mug forward.
“Thanks.” I mumble sheepishly.
“I was gonna make coffee, but then I remembered when my sister was pregnant she didn’t drink coffee, apparently its bad for the baby.”
“Thanks.” I say with a weak smile, “Uhh, Tre hasn’t come back?” Billie looks uneasy for a second.
“Not yet.” He sighs. I take a sip from the hot chocolate.
“So I heard Adie’s coming to California.” As I say this, I can see Billie grin like a mad man.
“Yeah, apparently she’s got like the job of a lifetime or something here.”
“Or she’s got, a decent job and she’s coming to see you.” I say as I nudge him in the ribs. I yawn a little then look around the room, “Hey Bill, what time’s it?”
“A little after nine.” He says taking a sip from his mug.
“Fucking Tre.” I mutter under my breath.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Billie says softly, “It’ll be okay.” He puts down his coffee mug and hugs me. God, what’s with the hugs today? I just want Tre to be here, talking to me and not driving around probably getting high.