Gives you Hell

I watched Victoria sit at the stone bench alone, her hands straightening out her skirt. I narrowed my eyes at her, not sure of what to think of when she didn’t come home last night. There must have been someone else, I was sure of it, but I didn’t want to believe it. We’ve been living together for almost a year, and we were young lovers, but she’s been acting so different lately. Nick told me that Victoria was bad news from the start, but how can a guy care with her looks? I took off my cap and fixed my hair as I began to walk towards her. She had news to tell me. There were a lot of possibilities, but I just hoped it wasn’t pregnancy. I wasn’t sure of fatherhood was right for me. Ever. I sat by her side, quickly throwing one arm around her waist and pulling her closer. She was startled but when she saw me, she weakly smiled. Can this be?1

“Tyson.” She said without a hint of sadness or regret. She looked different, like when she was going through PMS and was never in a good mood. I learned my lesson the first time; I don’t want to learn it again! I moved away. “I have news. Bad news.” She said. Everything was bad news nowadays. Everything used to be great until she moved in with me and my brothers. “I don’t know how to tell you this. You see…” she started, looking up at the sky.2

“What?” I asked her worriedly, praying that she wasn’t going to tell me that we were parents or she wanted to get married. I love her but I don’t want to get married. 3

“Tyson…I think you should…well…get a job. You know, to support us.” she said suggestively. I stood up insulted.4

“What do you mean get a job?! I think I’m doing a pretty good job right now!” I said angrily. Victoria always told me I was sensitive when it came to getting a job. I already knew my job in life. It was to be the lead singer of my band. I knew we were going to make it to the top. My band was the best in the state of Oklahoma. I will prove it one day. 5

“Tyson there is no chance that your stupid little band will support us for the rest of our lives! You need a REAL job! You know the job that makes Money!” she said standing up and putting her hands on her hips. I frowned. I usually thought that when she put her hands on her hips it look hot, but this time it just made me want to push her off a building or something related to the sort. “My birthday is coming up soon and I’m expecting you to give me a ring like you did last year. You hear me, Tyson?” asked me.6

“I can’t afford one.” I told her. Her lips pouted but I knew she was angry. I knew it. I knew she was spoiled. Yet all the guys wanted her and when she accepted to go out with me, I thought it would be great to have the girl everyone wanted. It wasn’t as great as I thought. Ever since I dated her she used up my entire wallet, criticized my work, and used up all the gas in the car! I find myself taking the bus home more often than my own car. Now she wants a ring?7

“You see!” she said. “ ‘I can’t afford one’” she mocked. “You’re going to go nowhere if you don’t open your eyes and get a real, I repeat REAL, job! Now I want to see you get a real job like Michael, or I promise that I’ll leave you! And I won’t turn back.” she said in a b*tchy tone. I frowned again, this time I was really angry but not because of her wanting for me to get a job.8

“Michael? What does HE have to do with any of this?” I asked her suspiciously. She was silent; I could see wheels turning in her head. Another negative trait of this girl was that she wasn’t the brightest one around. She won me over with being the easiest girl I found. “You were with him last night, weren’t you? You didn’t come home last night because you were with him! Don’t think I didn’t notice.” I said. Victoria was still silent. By her expression I knew I was right. I was always right. “You-”9

I don’t want to continue that story. I can promise you that I set her straight. What I can tell you is that I took her straight home and made her pack her stuff. 10

“This is MY house. You will leave and don’t expect me to take your sorry a** back.” I said, watching her from the doorway. She was sobbing as she packed. I could hear her begging, but I ignored it, no matter how hard it was. Life without Victoria? Would it be any different than how it is with her? At first she was always around, supporting me. Then slowly she began to disappear and now I know why. I’ve been cheated on before and even though it hurt each time I knew I shouldn’t show mercy. They cheat once, they cheat again. It’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way. When she was packed, she grabbed the car keys on the dresser. As she passed me by, I took the keys back. She gave me a bewildered look, mascara running down her cheeks. 11

“It’s MY car.” I told her bitterly.12

“How am I going to get home?” she asked me, her eyes begging me to show mercy and drive her to her parents’ home. I looked away angrily.13

“That’s your problem.” I said emotionless. She was out the door. I slammed it behind her. My brother’s weren’t home, fortunately. I sat on the couch and sighed, rubbing my head. It ached. Now what? Where do I go now? After half an hour I looked up at the ceiling. It didn’t feel any different from when she was still with me. It wouldn’t be so hard now. I was taking my first step towards freedom.14

Months passed. I passed her by during courses of college. It used to hurt each time I saw her, especially when she was with Michael, but soon enough I felt nothing. She would “accidentally” bump into me and try to start a conversation, but I ignored her. She is out of my life now. 15

On the sixth month of not being with her, I bumped into her. She looked up at her, her eyes still sad. 16

“Can you come over to the club this Saturday?” I asked her, hiding my grin behind a face of innocence. She tried to hide her happiness with a smirk.17

“If I decide to.” She said flipping her hair. I almost burst laughing, wondering how I used to see her as a goddess, but I kept it in.18

“I want to give you a gift. Something you’ve always wanted. I really want you to come, though.” I said, giving her a long stare into her eyes. She softened up. Before I could admire her soft look, the look she used to have when we first started dating, her look became hard and spoiled.19

“It’s probably a ring, am I right? You finally came to your senses and want me back.” she said. I didn’t move. “I’ll be there, but it better be real diamonds.” She said and left. I watched her turn around the building and soon I laughed. How could I have loved her? I was blinded by her beauty sure enough. I knew I had something in store for her.20

That night came. I was with my brothers, who weren’t actually my brothers but just my good friends. We stood on stage. There was a full house tonight. I knew somewhere in that crowd was the representative of Doghouse Records. Sitting at the table next to the representative was Victoria herself. She thought it was smart arriving with Michael at her side. It didn’t affect me one bit, although I could feel a small block of anger towards Michael. Nick looked over at me, a secret grin on his face.21

“Let’s get the party started, shall we?” he asked me. The lights dimmed and the spotlight was on us now. I took the bass in my arms, positioning it just right for me to play, and I put my lips to the microphone in front of me.22

“I want to dedicate this song to a good friend of mine. C’mon James, hit the spotlight. Let’s all see that pretty face of my good friend.” I said into the microphone. A spotlight suddenly appeared and positioned itself on Victoria. Her eyes began to squint from the bright light. I smirked and spoke in the microphone again.23

“I call this song, ‘Gives you Hell’”24