Be There, chapter 12
The taxi pulls up in front of my apartment and the driver takes my bags out of the trunk and I hand him the fare. I make my way inside and up the steps to my floor. As I near the door it opens and Zack is standing there with open arms.
"Mike found out." I nod as I burst into tears. He hugs me and kisses the top of my head.
"I don't wanna say it but I told you so."
"Shut up." I pout.
"Okay, okay, come inside and tell me everything." He says as he takes one of my bags.
We put my bags in my room and Zack turns to me. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"Not now." I murmur as I flop down on my bed.
"Alright just let me know." He closes the door as he leaves.
I fall asleep for what seems like five minutes when I'm awoken by someone knocking on my door. I open my eyes, it's dark outside.
"Myla, phone." Zack moans.
"Who is it?"
"It-it-it's Tre."
"I'm in the washroom, out at the store, not here." I ramble as I smoosh my face into my pillow. Zack closes my bedroom door and I get up to change into something more comfortable to sleep in.
"Sorry man, but she's-" and I dose off the second my body meets the bed.
I open the door to my apartment to find Tre standing there apparently upset.
"What's wrong?" I ask letting him in.
"Sh-sh-she cheated on me."
"What? Claudia?" he nods.
"I mean, I know I'm away a lot and well things haven't exactly been running smooth but I never thought-" I embrace him in a hug. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"You probably had plans for tonight."
"Screw these non-existent plans." I mumble as I let go of him.
"You expect me to believe you don't have plans. You're Myla."
"Yeah, I guess you can say I'm in between boyfriends." He laughs. "So what happened?"
"Well we managed to get an earlier flight back and well I got to the house and he was leaving, I saw her kiss him."
"I'm so sorry." I say seeing the pain in his eyes, "What about Frankito?"
"He was over at his grandparents."
"D-did you talk to her?" he nods.
"After he drove away, I headed into the house and asked her straight out and she didn't deny it."
"What's going to happen now?" he cups his head in his hands and lets out a loud sigh.
"I don't know, I guess its over." he mumbles, "Knowing what she did, I can never hold her again without thinking about it."
I'm woken up yet again, this time it's daylight.
"My, My, MYLA!" Zack practically yells.
"MMM!" I grunt.
"I'm going to work now."
"Bye." I say bitterly.
"Tre called a second time last night, and again this morning."
"Mmm."
"I don't know what happened but I think you should call-"
"Shh." I say putting the pillow over my head.
"Try to leave your room today, at least your bed." He mutters as he shuts my bedroom door.
As soon as I hear Zack leave, I roll out of bed and drag my feet into the washroom, where I sit on the toilette for a long while, just thinking. Then I start fiddling with the roll of toilette paper beside me until it's a bare piece of cardboard and there's a nice mound of toilette paper on the floor. I pull up my pyjama bottoms and head to the living room where I literally collapse on the couch. I turn on the TV to Much Music, something I can fall asleep on, wake up and not be lost on what's going on. As I'm about to dose off yet again the phone rings. I mute the TV as the answering machine.
"Hey Myla, it's me again, I hope Zack has been giving you my messages, call me back please." Tre's familiar voice says through the answering machine, it was different though, it sounded sort of squaggly.
I fall asleep on the couch with tears in my eyes, why couldn't I just talk to Tre, I mean Mike I have a reason to be silent around, but not Tre. I wake up to a loud commercial for Hulk Hogan's reality show. I rub my face and head into the kitchen to get something to eat when the phone rings again.
"Myla pick up the goddamn phone!" Billie practically yells onto the answering machine and not in a tone of excitement, "Myla! Now! Pick up the damn phone." I roll my eyes and do as requested.
"Hello."
"Why the fuck won't you talk to TRE?!"
"I don't know!"
"How the fuck can't you know?! Mike yes! I can understand you not talking to him, but not Tre! He fucking loves you! Did you hear him! You can't do this to him!"
"I know! I heard him, I think that's why I can't talk to him."
"Myla." Billie says calming down, "Do you love him?" I stay silent, unable to answer such a simple, yet such a complex question, "Myla, please tell me it was more than just sex to you." now that I can bear to answer.
"Of course it was more than sex!" I hiss.
"Good."
"Is that Aunt Myla?!" I hear Stella's adorable voice squeak.
"Uh yeah, but-"
"Tell her Daddy is talking to Tre so I don't think he's mad anymore."
"I wanna talk to her!" Ramona's voice says as well.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Billie mediates, "My cell phone, I don't want to break this one too so calm down."
"Myla?" Ramona's voice asks.
"Hey kiddo."
"My dad is really sad that you left."
"I know."
"Are you coming back?"
"I don't think so."
"Well you should call my Dad then, he's really sad. He's not being all funny."
"I-i."
"Okay, give me back my phone." I hear Billie says annoyed. "Myla, get your act together and stop torturing Tre!" and with that he hangs up.
I spend the rest of my morning with the cordless phone in my hand, contemplating whether or not to call. Finally Zack comes home on his lunch hour.
"Oh good you're up." He says slumping down on the couch next to me, "Did you call Tre?"
"N-no, I've been contemplating that."
"Tell me what happened."
I explain everything that happened in the hotel room till the taxi drove away from the hotel.
"Wow, so Mike was that pissed huh?" Zack says spooning me. I nod.
"I'm frigging lost, Tre said he loved me."
"Did you say it back?"
"No!"
"Right, the whole Billie sitting on his chest doesn't make much for romance." He says in a joking matter. "Well do you love him?"
"I don't know, how are you supposed to know when you love someone, I mean I love you but-"
"When you're in love with someone there's no definition for it. I'm such a sap." He says shaking his head, "You just know."
"Argh Zack, my mind is too messed up at the moment to locate anything." I pout as I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Alright, I'll make it easier for you, do you miss him right now?"
"Yeah."
"When the stress of touring got to you, who'd you go to?"
"Tre."
"Do you enjoy his non-sexual company?"
"Yeah of course."
"If he got back with Claudia, would you be upset?"
"Well yeah."
"If everything was right with Mike, how long do you think you and Tre would last?"
"Well, it seems like forever, I mean I've known him forever." I realize what I just said and I look over at Zack who's smirking.
The phone rings and the answering machine picks up.
"Myla, I know you're screening my calls, so I guess I'll just have to say what I want to say over the machine and hope Zack isn't the one listening." I giggle, even in distress Tre can still crack jokes. "I need to hear the sound of your voice even if it's you saying to fuck off-" Zack rams me in the ribs with his elbow.
"Pick up the phone!" I press TALK on the phone.
"Tre I love you!"
"You what?"
"I love you!" I practically screech as Zack claps his hands.
"I-I love you too." His tone changing from one of despair to one of joy. "Come back."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Mike."
"He's getting over it."
"Yeah but, I don't want to be flaunting it in his face."
"Umm, I wasn't planning on having sex with you in front of him." Tre says laughing.
"No, not that, he'll be glaring at us the whole time, like he know we were doing something bad."
"Sex isn't bad, especially with you."
"I'm honoured but-"
"But nothing, come back."
"Gimme-gimme-gimme the phone!" Adrienne demands.
"But, but."
"Hello." She says out of breath, I could tell she's still fighting off Tre.
"Hey."
"Myla, get your ass back here, Tre is driving all of us nuts." I laugh, "I'm serious, he's bugging Billie the most, and I want Billie for myself."
"Alright, alright." I can't help but laugh.
"Please, please, please come!" Tre pleads, "Or else the lack of Myla in my life will affect my drumming."
"What happened to all your limbs have a mind of their own."
"That was bull shit and you know it. Please." Tre whines.
"I'll see you in Atlanta."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he squeals.
"Tre get your ass over here!" Jason calls out in the background.
"Sorry I have to go baby."
"Baby?"
"Uhh got to go. Love ya." I laugh as he hangs up the phone.
I practically forgot Zack was sitting there on the sofa listening to what I was saying.
"Well that went well." He snickers.
"Oh shut up."
"Now pack something sexy for you man." He teases.
"You need to be laid." I say rolling my eyes.
"Hook me up with Billie Joe!"
"No!" I say pulling as I try to remember where I left my cell phone. I finally find it in my purse, with three missed calls, all of them from Tre. I ignore them and call the airline to book my flight.
"Mike found out." I nod as I burst into tears. He hugs me and kisses the top of my head.
"I don't wanna say it but I told you so."
"Shut up." I pout.
"Okay, okay, come inside and tell me everything." He says as he takes one of my bags.
We put my bags in my room and Zack turns to me. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"Not now." I murmur as I flop down on my bed.
"Alright just let me know." He closes the door as he leaves.
I fall asleep for what seems like five minutes when I'm awoken by someone knocking on my door. I open my eyes, it's dark outside.
"Myla, phone." Zack moans.
"Who is it?"
"It-it-it's Tre."
"I'm in the washroom, out at the store, not here." I ramble as I smoosh my face into my pillow. Zack closes my bedroom door and I get up to change into something more comfortable to sleep in.
"Sorry man, but she's-" and I dose off the second my body meets the bed.
I open the door to my apartment to find Tre standing there apparently upset.
"What's wrong?" I ask letting him in.
"Sh-sh-she cheated on me."
"What? Claudia?" he nods.
"I mean, I know I'm away a lot and well things haven't exactly been running smooth but I never thought-" I embrace him in a hug. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"You probably had plans for tonight."
"Screw these non-existent plans." I mumble as I let go of him.
"You expect me to believe you don't have plans. You're Myla."
"Yeah, I guess you can say I'm in between boyfriends." He laughs. "So what happened?"
"Well we managed to get an earlier flight back and well I got to the house and he was leaving, I saw her kiss him."
"I'm so sorry." I say seeing the pain in his eyes, "What about Frankito?"
"He was over at his grandparents."
"D-did you talk to her?" he nods.
"After he drove away, I headed into the house and asked her straight out and she didn't deny it."
"What's going to happen now?" he cups his head in his hands and lets out a loud sigh.
"I don't know, I guess its over." he mumbles, "Knowing what she did, I can never hold her again without thinking about it."
I'm woken up yet again, this time it's daylight.
"My, My, MYLA!" Zack practically yells.
"MMM!" I grunt.
"I'm going to work now."
"Bye." I say bitterly.
"Tre called a second time last night, and again this morning."
"Mmm."
"I don't know what happened but I think you should call-"
"Shh." I say putting the pillow over my head.
"Try to leave your room today, at least your bed." He mutters as he shuts my bedroom door.
As soon as I hear Zack leave, I roll out of bed and drag my feet into the washroom, where I sit on the toilette for a long while, just thinking. Then I start fiddling with the roll of toilette paper beside me until it's a bare piece of cardboard and there's a nice mound of toilette paper on the floor. I pull up my pyjama bottoms and head to the living room where I literally collapse on the couch. I turn on the TV to Much Music, something I can fall asleep on, wake up and not be lost on what's going on. As I'm about to dose off yet again the phone rings. I mute the TV as the answering machine.
"Hey Myla, it's me again, I hope Zack has been giving you my messages, call me back please." Tre's familiar voice says through the answering machine, it was different though, it sounded sort of squaggly.
I fall asleep on the couch with tears in my eyes, why couldn't I just talk to Tre, I mean Mike I have a reason to be silent around, but not Tre. I wake up to a loud commercial for Hulk Hogan's reality show. I rub my face and head into the kitchen to get something to eat when the phone rings again.
"Myla pick up the goddamn phone!" Billie practically yells onto the answering machine and not in a tone of excitement, "Myla! Now! Pick up the damn phone." I roll my eyes and do as requested.
"Hello."
"Why the fuck won't you talk to TRE?!"
"I don't know!"
"How the fuck can't you know?! Mike yes! I can understand you not talking to him, but not Tre! He fucking loves you! Did you hear him! You can't do this to him!"
"I know! I heard him, I think that's why I can't talk to him."
"Myla." Billie says calming down, "Do you love him?" I stay silent, unable to answer such a simple, yet such a complex question, "Myla, please tell me it was more than just sex to you." now that I can bear to answer.
"Of course it was more than sex!" I hiss.
"Good."
"Is that Aunt Myla?!" I hear Stella's adorable voice squeak.
"Uh yeah, but-"
"Tell her Daddy is talking to Tre so I don't think he's mad anymore."
"I wanna talk to her!" Ramona's voice says as well.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Billie mediates, "My cell phone, I don't want to break this one too so calm down."
"Myla?" Ramona's voice asks.
"Hey kiddo."
"My dad is really sad that you left."
"I know."
"Are you coming back?"
"I don't think so."
"Well you should call my Dad then, he's really sad. He's not being all funny."
"I-i."
"Okay, give me back my phone." I hear Billie says annoyed. "Myla, get your act together and stop torturing Tre!" and with that he hangs up.
I spend the rest of my morning with the cordless phone in my hand, contemplating whether or not to call. Finally Zack comes home on his lunch hour.
"Oh good you're up." He says slumping down on the couch next to me, "Did you call Tre?"
"N-no, I've been contemplating that."
"Tell me what happened."
I explain everything that happened in the hotel room till the taxi drove away from the hotel.
"Wow, so Mike was that pissed huh?" Zack says spooning me. I nod.
"I'm frigging lost, Tre said he loved me."
"Did you say it back?"
"No!"
"Right, the whole Billie sitting on his chest doesn't make much for romance." He says in a joking matter. "Well do you love him?"
"I don't know, how are you supposed to know when you love someone, I mean I love you but-"
"When you're in love with someone there's no definition for it. I'm such a sap." He says shaking his head, "You just know."
"Argh Zack, my mind is too messed up at the moment to locate anything." I pout as I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Alright, I'll make it easier for you, do you miss him right now?"
"Yeah."
"When the stress of touring got to you, who'd you go to?"
"Tre."
"Do you enjoy his non-sexual company?"
"Yeah of course."
"If he got back with Claudia, would you be upset?"
"Well yeah."
"If everything was right with Mike, how long do you think you and Tre would last?"
"Well, it seems like forever, I mean I've known him forever." I realize what I just said and I look over at Zack who's smirking.
The phone rings and the answering machine picks up.
"Myla, I know you're screening my calls, so I guess I'll just have to say what I want to say over the machine and hope Zack isn't the one listening." I giggle, even in distress Tre can still crack jokes. "I need to hear the sound of your voice even if it's you saying to fuck off-" Zack rams me in the ribs with his elbow.
"Pick up the phone!" I press TALK on the phone.
"Tre I love you!"
"You what?"
"I love you!" I practically screech as Zack claps his hands.
"I-I love you too." His tone changing from one of despair to one of joy. "Come back."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Mike."
"He's getting over it."
"Yeah but, I don't want to be flaunting it in his face."
"Umm, I wasn't planning on having sex with you in front of him." Tre says laughing.
"No, not that, he'll be glaring at us the whole time, like he know we were doing something bad."
"Sex isn't bad, especially with you."
"I'm honoured but-"
"But nothing, come back."
"Gimme-gimme-gimme the phone!" Adrienne demands.
"But, but."
"Hello." She says out of breath, I could tell she's still fighting off Tre.
"Hey."
"Myla, get your ass back here, Tre is driving all of us nuts." I laugh, "I'm serious, he's bugging Billie the most, and I want Billie for myself."
"Alright, alright." I can't help but laugh.
"Please, please, please come!" Tre pleads, "Or else the lack of Myla in my life will affect my drumming."
"What happened to all your limbs have a mind of their own."
"That was bull shit and you know it. Please." Tre whines.
"I'll see you in Atlanta."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he squeals.
"Tre get your ass over here!" Jason calls out in the background.
"Sorry I have to go baby."
"Baby?"
"Uhh got to go. Love ya." I laugh as he hangs up the phone.
I practically forgot Zack was sitting there on the sofa listening to what I was saying.
"Well that went well." He snickers.
"Oh shut up."
"Now pack something sexy for you man." He teases.
"You need to be laid." I say rolling my eyes.
"Hook me up with Billie Joe!"
"No!" I say pulling as I try to remember where I left my cell phone. I finally find it in my purse, with three missed calls, all of them from Tre. I ignore them and call the airline to book my flight.
