Be There, chapter 8
I step into my apartment, it's about 5AM.
"Zacky! Are you awake?!" I call. No response so I kick off my shoes and lie on the sofa and fall into an instant sleep.
"Hey babe." Someone says as I feel I'm being poked in the ribs.
"Tre, no, later." I murmur.
"Ew Tre no. It's Zack." I open my eyes to see Zack standing there holding a bowl of cereal and smirking evilly.
"Sorry." I mumble as I sit up. "What time is it?"
"Ten." He says taking a seat next to me, "So Tre's idea of foreplay is poking you in the ribs?"
"Nooooooooo." I say rolling my eyes.
"So how was the thingy yesterday?"
"Blah, I hate deejaying at these fancy party things."
"But it pays the bills."
"Talking about that, don't you have to go to work?"
"It's Saturday, remember."
"Oh yeah." I say putting my head in my hands, "I'm so tired."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Don't get up mister energetic, I'll get it." I say slightly annoyed as I head to the door.
"Hey baby." Tre says as I open the door.
"Oh, uhh hi Tre, now's not a good time." I say quickly.
"It's always a good time for me."
"Sorry but I'm not joking, now's not a good time."
"Hey babe, who is it?" Zack calls from the living room. "Send him away and come abuse me." oh fuck
"Oh I see." Tre mutters bitterly as he heads down the stairs.
"No Tre wait!" I yell as I run barefoot through the hall.
"No it's okay, we never agreed to being a couple." He says not looking back at me.
"Tre no!" I yell again, "That was just Zack." Too late, Tre had already gone out the door.
I head back to my apartment to find Zack standing the doorway.
"I'm so sorry Myla."
"S'okay." I say quietly as I head straight to my room. After a few minutes I pick up the phone and dial Tre's cell number. It just keeps ringing.
"You've reached ME! Tre Cool, I'm probably getting my horny on, so leave me a message and I'll fuck ya later."
"Tre, its Myla, call me back." He won't answer my calls, he has caller display.
"Myla, I'm really, really sorry." Zack says from the other side of the door a couple of hours later. "Please, can I come in?"
"Yeah." I mutter as he opens the door slightly and squeezes into the room. "I called him and he won't pick up."
"I'm so sorry."
"I already said it's okay." I insist, "Besides this way I won't have to tell Mike."
"Talking about Mike, he called your cell phone about twenty minutes ago."
"Oh okay." I murmur as I reach over to the phone and dial Mike's number.
"Hey Myla." He says.
"Uhh hi, you called?"
"Yeah have you talked to Tre lately?"
"What? Why?"
"Well he just came over and started mumbling some random crap using your name pretty often."
"I uhh well nope." I say awkwardly. "Maybe he came across an old photo or something."
"Yeah maybe."
"Is he still there by chance?" I ask eagerly.
"No I told him to go home and get some sleep."
"Alright." I say slightly disappointed.
"My, are you okay?"
"Me yeah, why do you ask?"
"You sound like you've been crying."
"Really?"
"Yeah, anyway I have to get going Stella is here."
"Say hi to her for me."
"I will, bye."
"Okay bye." I say hanging up the phone.
I run across my apartment to the ringing phone and pick it up.
"Hello?"
"Myla Pritchard?"
"Yes." I say slowly.
"Thank fucking god."
"Billie?"
"Yeah it's me." he says a little annoyed, "You're one hard person to track down you know."
"Sorry." I say in slight mockery. "So what's up?"
"Well, things are going to shit here."
"What?"
"Mike's marriage is falling apart; I think you should come back from whatever escapade you're on."
"What?!"
"Yeah, you missed shitloads." Billie mutters, "You know you should call once in a while."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Well you better get over here quick, your niece is caught in the middle of this and Mike is well... Mike is going insane."
"Alright." I say nodding, regardless that Billie can't even see me, "I'll come first thing in the morning."
"Alright, I'll see you then."
How could that be? Mike and Ana always seemed happy, they had a daughter together. I wasn't gone that long, was I? Maybe six months, eight tops.
"Who was that?" Jesse, my latest boyfriend, asks.
"It was a family friend."
"And?"
"Well my brother's marriage just went to the crapper and..." he looks at me impatiently waiting for me to spit out whatever I had to say, "I need to go back home."
"Home." He looks at me uneasily, "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, I think it's best if I go alone." I say nervously, "Mike is sort of over-protective and he's already under a lot of stress so...."
"I understand." Jesse says nodding as he comes to wrap his arms around me, "Just come back soon."
I pick up my phone once again and dial Tre's home phone number. It rings for a while before the answering machine picks up.
"This is the Cool residence; leave your business after the beep."
"Tre, it's Myla. Please pick up the phone, I know you're home. Listen I'm really sorry about what happened, but it's not what it seemed. It's just a big misunderstanding." I pause as I hear something.
"Myla, I don't want to talk right now." Tre's voice says clearly, "Please stop calling, when I want to talk to you, I'll call." I sit dumbfounded for a second then I hear Tre hang up.
I burst out crying, wailing more like it. I don't care if Zack hears me, or the neighbors on the floor below, I just need to let it all out. I wasn't just crying because I lost my latest boyfriend, I'm crying because I'm losing my best friend, the friend that's been there since I was seventeen. We always helped each other out, now who could I turn to.
"Where do you go?" Tre asks as we sit in Mike's living room while we wait for him to get back with Stella.
"I was in San Diego." I mumble.
"Why?"
"Why not?" I say not really wanting to get into details.
"No, why are you always running away and stuff?"
"I don't know, I just have issues staying in the same place for too long."
"But why?"
"Fuck Tre, I don't know!" I retort.
"Jeez, no need to get fussy!" Tre exclaims, "I just want to know why you decide to disappear from the face of the earth for months at a time." I look at him in disbelief for a moment, he's never this forceful in trying to find stuff out, "Why don't you call your own brother, or let him know that you're all right?!" I put my head in my hands and start to cry.
"Myla, I'm sorry." Tre says calming down.
"No, you're right." I say wiping my eyes. "You're absolutely right, you're always right."
"I mean you could go on your ventures and stuff, just let Mikey know that you're okay, he worries about you." Tre says as he comes to sit next to me and puts his arm over my shoulders, "He doesn't know if you're in another abusive relationship or worse. No wonder he's over-protective of you."
"But I am fine, I'm happy."
"Good, you could let Mike know that on the regular basis." I nod.
"Aunt Myla! You're here!" three year old Stella squeals as she runs through the front door. "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Tre just told me a really sad story." I say smiling.
"You're mean!" she says pointing at Tre.
"No Stella, I wanted to hear it." She nods, but doesn't believe me. She moves onto the sofa to sit next to me and gives me a hug.
"My mommy cries sometimes too." She says quietly, "She says hugs make her feel better."
"Thank you." I say hugging her back.
"Hey Myla." Mike says quietly.
"Hey Mike." I stand up, "Are you okay?"
"Well."
"You don't have to answer."
"What about you? Where have you been all this time?"
"San Diego, I just started deejaying at a club."
"Oh jeez." Mike moans.
"No, it's okay." I say quickly, "I don't pick my boyfriends out of the club, I've matured." Tre lets out a stifled laugh I glare at him.
"So where'd you meet your current boyfriend." Mike asks as he picks Stella off the couch so he can sit, then puts her on his lap.
"I met him at a bookstore." I say somewhat proud, Mike nods, "He works for exporting company."
"I see." Mike says nodding.
"You went for a normy!" Tre exclaims.
"What's a normy?" Stella asks.
"It's someone who works normal jobs like in front of a computer."
"Dad, are you a normy?"
"No, I work on a stage or in a studio." He explains. "Normys are usually boring."
"Okay." She says nodding.
"So when will we get to meet Normy?" Tre asks evilly.
"His name is Jesse." I say sternly.
"Zacky! Are you awake?!" I call. No response so I kick off my shoes and lie on the sofa and fall into an instant sleep.
"Hey babe." Someone says as I feel I'm being poked in the ribs.
"Tre, no, later." I murmur.
"Ew Tre no. It's Zack." I open my eyes to see Zack standing there holding a bowl of cereal and smirking evilly.
"Sorry." I mumble as I sit up. "What time is it?"
"Ten." He says taking a seat next to me, "So Tre's idea of foreplay is poking you in the ribs?"
"Nooooooooo." I say rolling my eyes.
"So how was the thingy yesterday?"
"Blah, I hate deejaying at these fancy party things."
"But it pays the bills."
"Talking about that, don't you have to go to work?"
"It's Saturday, remember."
"Oh yeah." I say putting my head in my hands, "I'm so tired."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Don't get up mister energetic, I'll get it." I say slightly annoyed as I head to the door.
"Hey baby." Tre says as I open the door.
"Oh, uhh hi Tre, now's not a good time." I say quickly.
"It's always a good time for me."
"Sorry but I'm not joking, now's not a good time."
"Hey babe, who is it?" Zack calls from the living room. "Send him away and come abuse me." oh fuck
"Oh I see." Tre mutters bitterly as he heads down the stairs.
"No Tre wait!" I yell as I run barefoot through the hall.
"No it's okay, we never agreed to being a couple." He says not looking back at me.
"Tre no!" I yell again, "That was just Zack." Too late, Tre had already gone out the door.
I head back to my apartment to find Zack standing the doorway.
"I'm so sorry Myla."
"S'okay." I say quietly as I head straight to my room. After a few minutes I pick up the phone and dial Tre's cell number. It just keeps ringing.
"You've reached ME! Tre Cool, I'm probably getting my horny on, so leave me a message and I'll fuck ya later."
"Tre, its Myla, call me back." He won't answer my calls, he has caller display.
"Myla, I'm really, really sorry." Zack says from the other side of the door a couple of hours later. "Please, can I come in?"
"Yeah." I mutter as he opens the door slightly and squeezes into the room. "I called him and he won't pick up."
"I'm so sorry."
"I already said it's okay." I insist, "Besides this way I won't have to tell Mike."
"Talking about Mike, he called your cell phone about twenty minutes ago."
"Oh okay." I murmur as I reach over to the phone and dial Mike's number.
"Hey Myla." He says.
"Uhh hi, you called?"
"Yeah have you talked to Tre lately?"
"What? Why?"
"Well he just came over and started mumbling some random crap using your name pretty often."
"I uhh well nope." I say awkwardly. "Maybe he came across an old photo or something."
"Yeah maybe."
"Is he still there by chance?" I ask eagerly.
"No I told him to go home and get some sleep."
"Alright." I say slightly disappointed.
"My, are you okay?"
"Me yeah, why do you ask?"
"You sound like you've been crying."
"Really?"
"Yeah, anyway I have to get going Stella is here."
"Say hi to her for me."
"I will, bye."
"Okay bye." I say hanging up the phone.
I run across my apartment to the ringing phone and pick it up.
"Hello?"
"Myla Pritchard?"
"Yes." I say slowly.
"Thank fucking god."
"Billie?"
"Yeah it's me." he says a little annoyed, "You're one hard person to track down you know."
"Sorry." I say in slight mockery. "So what's up?"
"Well, things are going to shit here."
"What?"
"Mike's marriage is falling apart; I think you should come back from whatever escapade you're on."
"What?!"
"Yeah, you missed shitloads." Billie mutters, "You know you should call once in a while."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Well you better get over here quick, your niece is caught in the middle of this and Mike is well... Mike is going insane."
"Alright." I say nodding, regardless that Billie can't even see me, "I'll come first thing in the morning."
"Alright, I'll see you then."
How could that be? Mike and Ana always seemed happy, they had a daughter together. I wasn't gone that long, was I? Maybe six months, eight tops.
"Who was that?" Jesse, my latest boyfriend, asks.
"It was a family friend."
"And?"
"Well my brother's marriage just went to the crapper and..." he looks at me impatiently waiting for me to spit out whatever I had to say, "I need to go back home."
"Home." He looks at me uneasily, "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, I think it's best if I go alone." I say nervously, "Mike is sort of over-protective and he's already under a lot of stress so...."
"I understand." Jesse says nodding as he comes to wrap his arms around me, "Just come back soon."
I pick up my phone once again and dial Tre's home phone number. It rings for a while before the answering machine picks up.
"This is the Cool residence; leave your business after the beep."
"Tre, it's Myla. Please pick up the phone, I know you're home. Listen I'm really sorry about what happened, but it's not what it seemed. It's just a big misunderstanding." I pause as I hear something.
"Myla, I don't want to talk right now." Tre's voice says clearly, "Please stop calling, when I want to talk to you, I'll call." I sit dumbfounded for a second then I hear Tre hang up.
I burst out crying, wailing more like it. I don't care if Zack hears me, or the neighbors on the floor below, I just need to let it all out. I wasn't just crying because I lost my latest boyfriend, I'm crying because I'm losing my best friend, the friend that's been there since I was seventeen. We always helped each other out, now who could I turn to.
"Where do you go?" Tre asks as we sit in Mike's living room while we wait for him to get back with Stella.
"I was in San Diego." I mumble.
"Why?"
"Why not?" I say not really wanting to get into details.
"No, why are you always running away and stuff?"
"I don't know, I just have issues staying in the same place for too long."
"But why?"
"Fuck Tre, I don't know!" I retort.
"Jeez, no need to get fussy!" Tre exclaims, "I just want to know why you decide to disappear from the face of the earth for months at a time." I look at him in disbelief for a moment, he's never this forceful in trying to find stuff out, "Why don't you call your own brother, or let him know that you're all right?!" I put my head in my hands and start to cry.
"Myla, I'm sorry." Tre says calming down.
"No, you're right." I say wiping my eyes. "You're absolutely right, you're always right."
"I mean you could go on your ventures and stuff, just let Mikey know that you're okay, he worries about you." Tre says as he comes to sit next to me and puts his arm over my shoulders, "He doesn't know if you're in another abusive relationship or worse. No wonder he's over-protective of you."
"But I am fine, I'm happy."
"Good, you could let Mike know that on the regular basis." I nod.
"Aunt Myla! You're here!" three year old Stella squeals as she runs through the front door. "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Tre just told me a really sad story." I say smiling.
"You're mean!" she says pointing at Tre.
"No Stella, I wanted to hear it." She nods, but doesn't believe me. She moves onto the sofa to sit next to me and gives me a hug.
"My mommy cries sometimes too." She says quietly, "She says hugs make her feel better."
"Thank you." I say hugging her back.
"Hey Myla." Mike says quietly.
"Hey Mike." I stand up, "Are you okay?"
"Well."
"You don't have to answer."
"What about you? Where have you been all this time?"
"San Diego, I just started deejaying at a club."
"Oh jeez." Mike moans.
"No, it's okay." I say quickly, "I don't pick my boyfriends out of the club, I've matured." Tre lets out a stifled laugh I glare at him.
"So where'd you meet your current boyfriend." Mike asks as he picks Stella off the couch so he can sit, then puts her on his lap.
"I met him at a bookstore." I say somewhat proud, Mike nods, "He works for exporting company."
"I see." Mike says nodding.
"You went for a normy!" Tre exclaims.
"What's a normy?" Stella asks.
"It's someone who works normal jobs like in front of a computer."
"Dad, are you a normy?"
"No, I work on a stage or in a studio." He explains. "Normys are usually boring."
"Okay." She says nodding.
"So when will we get to meet Normy?" Tre asks evilly.
"His name is Jesse." I say sternly.
