An Address Book Romance

You Know Why I Am The Way I Am

Grace pulled the phone away from her face as she began to cough choking on her cherry Slurpee. She laid the plastic Slurpee cup on the coffee table in front of her making sure to lay it on top of a napkin.

Jen had already practically destroyed this poor coffee table by laying glasses directly on the wood. It had caused a couple of sticky ring shaped stains to develop on it's surface.

If Grace could change anything about her roommate she might make her a tiny bit less of a slob.

She finally managed to completely clear her throat as she put the phone back up against her face. She rolled her eyes as she heard the distinct sound of Tre's laughter.

Re finally recovered from his giggling fit as he spoke up. “Yeah that's about the same reaction I had. What are you choking on anyway?”

“Cherry Slurpee it's pretty gross though. I got it on my way home from work and it has way too much syrup in it. So your daughter seriously asked you if we were going to get married? What did you say? I mean that isn't the easiest question in the world to answer.” Grace said as she sank back onto the sofa.

“How can it have too much syrup in it? The syrups the best part that's where all the sugar is. Does this mean you have your own car now? I'm pretty sure that health freak you call a roommate wouldn't let you near a Slurpee. I told Ramona that it was way too soon in yours and my relationship to even begin to think about marriage.” Tre stated deciding not to mention the whole discussion Ramona and he'd had about whether Grace and he were in love or not.

He knew that Grace and he defiantly didn't need to discuss their feelings for each other over the phone. Especially seeing how Grace seemed to clam up on him when he even tried to discuss their relationship.

Grace shook her head as she slipped her hot pink flip flops off accidentally kicking one of them underneath the coffee table. “You would say something about sugar Mr. ADHD. I seriously think you're addicted to sugar. You do have to have a Starbucks Frappacinno like every single day. Don't call Jen a health freak. She isn't that bad and yes I did get a car. It's a used 2000 Sedan Volvo. I don't know if I like it very much the air conditioning is crap and it's a black car so it attracts tons of heat.”

“I just really like Starbucks if that's wrong then I don't want to be right. I think I may add Mr. ADHD to my official title. I can be Mr. Tre ADHD Cool. Jen is really that bad, when I slept over right before I left she made me eat a bran and raisin muffin. Muffins aren't supposed to have bran or dried fruit in them Graceland it's just wrong.” Tre exclaimed.

Grace giggled slightly at his outburst over muffins. “Whats up with the Graceland? I thought I was Graceful?”

“I'm trying out new nicknames. I'll make sure to jot down the fact that you don't like Graceland. Ramona really is worrying me though.” Tre mumbled.

Grace reached up with her free hand running a hand through her hair as she spoke. “Why? Is it because of the marriage thing? I mean she's just a kid it's probably nothing to worry about.”

She heard Tre let out a tired sigh before speaking up. “No it isn't that. It's just that she's only nine and she's already trying to push her mom's and my buttons. She's trying to get reactions out of us. It just freaks me out to think about what she's going to try to pull once she gets a little bit older. I'm terrified that she's going to pull some of the same crap I pulled in my teens.”

Grace reached out grabbing her cup and taking another sip of her Slurpee before she spoke “I'm afraid to know what exactly you were like as a teenager Tre. From what you've told me about Ramona she sounds like she's got a pretty good head on her shoulders though. I don't think there is anything that she could do that you haven't already done, so in a way she shouldn't be able to get too much past you or her mother. Trust me I was a teenage girl once and I wasn't a perfect angel, but in the end I turned out okay.”

She heard Tre chuckle a bit before he responded to her statement. “Oh you have no idea what I was like. I was in the punk rock scene, so that should tell you enough. I can't picture you as a bad kid Graceful.”

She shook her head as she laid her cup back down. “I had two older brothers to help me become a complete pain in the ass for my dad. My Aunt Ruth even tried to send me away to a catholic girls boarding school when I was about sixteen. My father wouldn't stand for it though.”

“I didn't know you're catholic? What did you do to make her want to send you away?” Tre remarked causing her to smirk slightly.

“I'm not really religious. My Aunt Ruth is a devout catholic though. I guess she thought some nuns could straighten me out. I would sneak out of the house and wouldn't come home until dawn. I was going to parties, coming home completely drunk at like five am, and getting into fights. For the most part though she didn't like my ex fiancee. I probably only got engaged to Brent as a way to escape her. All my misbehavior started around the time my mom died. Everyone was so caught up in their own mourning and my dad just threw himself into work. So in a way I didn't have any discipline or guidance from anyone so I just went wild.” she replied sinking down a little farther into the sofa.

Tre cleared his throat keeping silent for a moment before he spoke up hesitantly. “Is that why you don't like you're aunt?”

Grace stared down at her feet frowning slightly at the chipped white nail polish. “Maybe. I'm sure that's a big part of it. Aunt Ruth and I just never could agree on anything. We're way too different. I mean if it were up to her I would have ended up staying home and joining the family business. I know that would have never worked I mean I'm totally not cut out for the funeral business.”

“So should I fear this women when I come home with you for Thanksgiving?” Tre asked half joking.

He could admit though he was beginning to become a bit weary of the idea of meeting her family so soon. He was even more nervous about the fact that her family home was technically also a funeral home.

He was still wondering how he was going to relax and make a decent impression on her family knowing that he was that close to anything death related.

“I would be afraid if I were you. The rest of my family is pretty decent though. My brother Daniel may go a little fan boy on you though. I'm just warning you.” She mumbled a little embarrassed to admit that her brother would probably freak out once she brought Tre home.

“Is he as big of a fan as Jen is?” he asked chucking.

“No one is as big of a fan as Jen . No one is concerned with our sex life like she is either. Did I tell you what she asked after you left? ” Grace mumbled causing him to laugh.

“No you didn't. What did she want to know about our bedroom activities?” He laughed.

Grace rolled her eyes not surprised that Tre would find this all so amusing. “She wanted to know if it was true that you only had one ball. I'm just glad she had the decency not to blurt that out in front of you. I didn't tell her anything. I mean it's personal.”

She heard Tre laugh a little bit louder before he finally managed to speak up. “I could show her if you'd like. I mean I'm sure that should shut her up.”

“No thanks I don't think I want you flashing my roommate.” Grace sighed shaking her head slightly.

Tre spoke up still laughing a little bit. “Okay just tell her that my one ball pleases you just fine. I mean I have two kids so it obviously hasn't hindered me in that area of my life.”

Grace snorted a tiny bit as she heard this. She finally managed to recover from her half snort half laugh as she responded to his comment. “All right I'll get right on that conversation.”

“You got that list I emailed you about the kind of things you should pack for the tour right?” Tre asked remembering Grace's mentioned anxiety about joining him out on the road. She had let herself worry about every little thing from packing to money.

Tre sometimes wondered how someone as carefree as him could have ended up with someone who worried as much as her. He guessed it worked though. He had learned how to deal with her worries and soothe them pretty early on in their relationship.

She heard a bit of commotion on the other end of the phone before Tre let out a sigh speaking up. “I have to go. Mike's hassling me to get off the phone. We're about to have a meeting with our tour manager. I'll call you sometime tomorrow okay.”

Grace nodded her head reluctantly hanging up the phone after she and he had exchanged their quick goodbyes.

Jen walked through the front door as soon as she hung up her phone. She rolled her eyes noticing Jen frown as soon as she saw Grace's sugary drink.

Jen managed to speak up as she made her way into their tiny kitchenette. “Did you just get off the phone with Tre?”

Grace nodded her head as she watched Jen pour herself a glass of soy milk. “Yeah. He had to go so they could have some sort of meeting with their tour manager.”

“Where is he?” Jen asked taking a sip from her glass of milk.

Grace shook her head sighing. “Still in New York I think. They had to fly over to England so they could do some sort of radio interview thing before they flew back to the US. I think he said that they didn't get in until like three am this morning. He slept until noon and then had to get up and do a magazine interview. He just wanted to call me while he had the time.”

The two women stood in silence for a moment before Grace cleared her throat speaking up again. “I really miss him and I can't wait until I see him again. I can't believe I only have a few more weeks until I go.”

Jen let out a slight huff before speaking up. “At least you're getting to go out on tour with him. I would kill to go out on tour.”

Grace shook her head sighing. “Maybe if you stop feeding him bran muffins he'd hook you up with a backstage pass or something.”

“I happened to have thought that he would have enjoyed a bran muffin. He would probably like some vegan cottage cheese meatless loaf. It's really good.” Jen stated shrugging her shoulders completely unaware of just how much Tre didn't like the bran muffin.

Grace did the best she could to keep the disgusted look off her face. “I don't know I think he usually likes his meatloaf to have actual meat in it.”

Jen let out another huff as she plopped down on the sofa beside Grace. “I'm probably going to go out tomorrow night. I have a date.”

“Anybody I know?” Grace asked taking another sip from her melting Slurpee.

“Aaron. He called and we sort of made up.” Jen mumbled avoiding making direct eye contact with Grace.

Grace and Aaron weren't exactly each others biggest fans. Actually Grace completely despised Aaron.

Grace couldn't help but to frown as she heard this. “Aaron the cheating a-hole?”

“He's changed Grace. I mean he's totally trying to make it up to me. We just went through a rough patch. It happens. Not every relationship is like Tre's and yours.”

Grace let out a sigh knowing that they'd had this discussion at least a million times. Men like Aaron never changed.

“Whatever.” She muttered trying her best not to sound completely annoyed.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Jen asked clenching her fists slightly.

Grace shook her head sighing in frustration. “I don't know Jen. It just seems a bit hypocritical of you. I mean you tell me that I shouldn't have put up with Brent's crap, but you're willing to put up with Aaron doing the same thing to you.”

She wasn't surprised to see Jen stand up and cross her arms. “Okay just because you found someone who treats you halfway decent doesn't give you the right to tell me what's wrong with my relationships. I mean for god sakes Grace you freak out every single time some guy shows you attention. The only reason you're even giving Tre a chance is because of me.”

Grace couldn't help but to glare slightly annoyed that Jen had hit a weak spot. “Leave Tre out of this. You know why I am the way I am. Brent was the first person who really tried to take care of me after I lost my mom. So don't even go there.”

“Oh please you had your heart broken once. Just get over it. You aren't the first person in the world to go though a bad breakup.”

Grace shook her head standing up from the sofa and making her way to her bedroom. She turned to Jen shaking her head. “All I'm saying is don't come crying to me when he cheats on you again.”

With that said she shut the door frowning. She wasn't surprised to hear Jen yell something about her always having to have the last word.

Grace ran a hand through her hair already regretting their fight. Maybe she could have been supportive, but she had seen this happen one too many times with Jen and Aaron.

She was angry that Jen had the nerve to bring up her breakup with Brent and to practically rub her insecurities about her relationship with Tre in her face.

She glanced over at her closed laptop remembering the email she'd gotten from Tre earlier. She went over to her closet pulling out her suitcase and opening it up.

She began to stuff clothing and toiletries in it trying her best to remember the things Tre had mentioned that she may want to consider bringing along with her.

Grace grabbed the phone of the bedside table quickly dialing the one person she knew she could call. It only rang a few times before she heard Adrienne's voice on the other end. “Hello.”

She cleared her throat trying to sound cheerful. “Hey Adrienne. I was wondering do you know exactly where the guys are right now?”

“Their still in New York city why? Are you okay you sound a little shaky?” Adrienne asked sounding concerned.

“I'm fine really. Thanks. I was thinking about maybe joining Tre a little sooner than I'd originally planned. I'm done with work and I thought it would just be a nice surprise for him if I came.” Grace stated deciding not to mention the real reason she was leaving so soon.

“He'll probably be thrilled to see you. Are you sure you're all right? You sound sort of down.”

“Yeah I'm great thanks Adrienne. I guess I'll see you when you come out in a few months.”

She heard the women laugh apparently finally accepting that Grace was fine. “Yeah. Brittney and you and me can probably do some serious shopping while the boys are working. I never get too much girl time with a house full of boys. Even the goldfish and the dog are males.”

“Yeah that sounds like fun. I'll see you then.” Grace stated trying to sound a little more cheerful.

She turned back to her bag finishing up stuffing it with as much as she could. She was sure that she shouldn't bring way too much.

After all she was sure it might be annoying to Tre to have a girlfriend who brought her entire life out on the road with him.

She picked up her cell phone making sure to text a quick note to Tre that stated simply. :hey change of plans with work. I can come out to see you right now I hope you don't mind. I'll catch a cab and meet you at the hotel call me.

With that done she grabbed her suitcase leaving the bedroom and then the house grateful to see that Jen was no where in sight. Grace shoved her suitcase into the backseat of her car before she got into the drivers seat and turned on the radio.

She wondered briefly if she should leave a note explaining her absence, but quickly decided that they both needed time to cool off before they even tried to talk again.

She pulled out of the driveway and made her way to the airport not helping but to hope that she was making the right decision.