An Angel's Tears
Part 8: "Heartbreak and Heartache"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"I love you, Trunks." Marron said.

"What?!" Trunks said in shock.

"Uh..." Marron decided to let it out. "That's right, I love you."

"As in..."

"LOVE love. Not friendship love." Marron tried to say calmly. Her heart was hammering in
her chest and blood was pounding in her ears.

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down." Trunks said.

"Ok. I. LOVE. YOU." Marron said.

Trunks scoffed and turned around. Marron looked at him with great curiosity. Trunks crossed
his arms and then turned back to Marron.

"Marron, do you think I need this right now?" he asked.

"But I---"

"NO. No, I don't need your little "confession" now."

"Trunks---"

"MY GIRLFRIEND JUST CHEATED ON ME!!" Trunks yelled.

Marron looked at the ground. Of course. Why had she been so stupid? This obviously wasn't the
time to come foward and tell Trunks she loved him. He had just been hurt so bad...

"The last thing I need," Trunks continued, "Is to hear those three little words. Especially from
someone like you."

"What do you mean?" Marron asked quietly.

"I mean, someone unexpected like you."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I--I'm sorry then," Marron said, tears welling in her eyes and her voice breaking.

"Marron?" Trunks said in disbelief.

"I--I--I won't bother you ever again."

"I'm sorry---"

"No, it's ok," Marron said, wiping her eyes. "Merry---Merry Christmas. Tell---tell Bra I had to
go."

"Marron..."

Marron walked towards the door and opened it. Then she turned around to face Trunks.

"And before I forget," she said, her voice very shaky. "Happy New Year, Trunks-kun..."

She broke down into sobs and ran from the auditorium.

"Marron, wait!!" Trunks yelled out, but even he knew that it was too late.




"Geez, what is taking them so long?" Bra looked at her little watch in her purse. "It's been 45
minutes!"

Bra got up and put her coat on she walked up the aisle and pushed the doors of Auditorium 5 open.
There she saw Trunks standing at the foot of the Grand Staircase, staring at the door. Marron
was nowhere to be seen.

"Trunks?" she called out.

Trunks turned and looked at his sister. Then he turned and looked at the door again.

"Trunks?" Bra called again. She began walking down the steps, picking up her nice white dress
as not to get it dirty. "Are you okay? Where's Marron?"

"Mar--Marron had to leave." Trunks said in a sort of strangled voice.

"Leave?" Bra said in disbelief. "But...but..."

"Some important matter to attend to." Trunks said. "She'd just remembered."

"But Marron's a very organized person. It's not like her to forget an important matter. And it's
certainly not like her to walk out on us. Trunks, tell me the truth!"

"SHUT UP, BRA!" he lost his temper.

Bra gasped and tightened her grip around her purse.

"I'm sorry."

Trunks' expression softened and he went to put an arm around his sister.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"It's ok, but we gotta find Marron!"

Trunks heaved a heavy sigh.

"Where is she?"



MEANWHILE...



[I knew it would be a big mistake to tell him,] Marron thought as she wrapped her arms around
herself. An even stupider mistake than tell Trunks that she loved him, she had left her coat in
the theater. Now she stood in the cold place, all alone, freezing to death in a strapless,
long gown with no gloves. All she had was her purse and herself.

[I can't even run in these shoes if someone tried to rob me,] she thought angrily. [Maybe I
should catch a cab home.] But Marron looked around her. She had not realized how far she had
run, or how painful her feet were feeling by now. All she thought about was Trunks, and the
heartbreak she had just suffered.

She looked around her. She was in the middle of a park. [Sakura Park!] she thought. It looked
like she was in the center of it, because she could see the dark outline of the Duck Pond.
Marron started walking east, or at least she hoped it was east, for that was the direction to
the nearest sidewalk and payphone. Her footsteps echoed through out the quiet, vacant park.

The wind whistled and a hard wave of wind went by. Marron's hair whipped in her face and she
reached up to pull in back. She looked up at the large, snow-covered trees. They seemed to look
mysterious, scary even. The temperature dropped at every step she took. It would be snowing
soon. She had to find somewhere to call for a cab, and quickly.


Suddenly, Marron heard footsteps behind her. Footsteps that were not her own. She spun around
in panic, shaking head to foot. The footsteps were drawing nearer.

"W-w-who's th-there?" she called out.

The footsteps came nearer and nearer and finally stopped. Breathing fast, Marron slowly turned
around.

"Not lost, are you my dear?"

An old woman stood there, a woman of about 75. She looked like she had no pupils. Marron screamed
aloud and started to turn and run blindly; running through the trees, not even stopping to pull
her pretty gown out of the trees' clutches. It ripped in several places; and the icy branches
slashed her right arm. But Marron didn't care, she kept on running and broke through onto the
sidewalk. She tripped on the slippery cement.

Getting up roughly, she held her arm painfully and cursed. She looked to the left. She looked
to the right. No phone. No one in sight. But there was a mini-mart across the street that still
looked open. Thanking the heavens, Marron got up and crossed the icy road.


The bell in the store dinged as Marron walked in. She stared around at the chips, candy, and
sodas they were selling. Then a man came out.

"Sorry lady, I'm closed." he said grumpily.

"Yes well---" Marron paused for a moment. "Wait a minute---" she stared at the man. Then she
laughed in disbelief. "Steve? Steve Yi from high school?"

"What? How did you---" the man looked closer. "Marron? Why it's Marron Kuri!"

"Steve! Wow!"

"I know!" Steve walked out from behind the counter. He looked at Marron up and down. He whistled.
"Wow, you would actually look attractive without all those cuts. And dirt. And---"

"Oh shut up." Marron said, looking annoyed. "Is that how you greet your savior from high school?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. It was you who actually got me to pass that high school
exit exam."

"Well, you know, I'd never turn my back on a friend." she smiled.

"So what are you doing out on the cold streets on Christmas Eve with no sweater and looking like
you crossed the jungle?"

"Long story." Marron sighed.

"Well, I got time. What do you say we go to my place and get some cocoa and you can tell me."

"But I really need to get home and your store---"

"Hey, at least get something in your stomache and a sweater on your shoulders. Then I'll take
you wherever you want to go. And the store? I know it's a mini-mart, but who's gonna shop for
gum and a deck of cards at---" he checked his watch. "---at 11:45 on Christmas Eve?"

"Well---I---" Marron hesitated. "Oh, all right, I guess."

"Great. Just let me lock up and turn the freezer off."

Steve started walking to the back of the store when Marron remembered something.

"Hey Steve---" she called. He turned around. "Thanks."

He smiled.

~~~~~~

"How many marshmallows?" Steve asked, opening the bag of marshmallows as Marron looked nervously
around the small apartment.

"Just one, thank you." Marron replied. Steve noticed her un-easiness.

"Hey, just make yourself at home, huh? Mi casa es su casa." Steve said, adding three marshmallows
to his own cup.

"Thanks." Marron sat down on the clean sofa and stared around the spotless apartment.
"Wow, Steve, for a guy, you sure are neat."

"Yeah, I keep the place this way in case my mother decides to visit." Steve rolled his eyes and
got out a plate of biscuits. "Besides, I'm pretty used to it now."

Marron giggled and got up to look out the window. Snow was coming down softly as the big
Christmas tree at the center of town welcomed the lost snowflakes. It's twinkling lights dimmed
a little and the large angel above the tree was becoming buried in snow. The ornaments seemed
to enjoy the snow, as if they'd never seen the innocent snowflakes before. The beautiful
fir tree was now looking like a white tree, its pretty branches being covered in a soothing
blanket of white.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Steve asked, putting the two steaming mugs of cocoa on the table along
with a plate of creme biscuits.

"Hmm?" Marron turned to look at Steve. "Oh just admiring the snow."

"Yeah, I can't remember the last time it snowed on Christmas Eve." Steve said. "Sit down. Tell
me why you ended up where you did."

Marron just noticed that Steve just turned on the heater. She also noticed that he had no
Christmas tree; but only a picture of one on the wall.

"Hey Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you don't have a tree?"

"Never found the time to get one."

"But everyone should have a tree."

"I want one; it's just that a Christmas tree brings back painful memories." Steve looked away.

"Why? What happened?"

"No it's stupid."

"Please tell me."

"Well..."

Steve paused for a long time. Then he began.

"It all happened four years ago. I dropped out of college because me and---and---"

"And who?" Marron could tell this was difficult for Steve.

He paused again.

"Her name---her name was Vanessa. She was the love of my life."

"Oh, your girlfriend from high school?"

Steve nodded. "I dropped out of college because we were to get married. Yes, I was only 20
years old and so was she."

Marron was silent; listening closely.

"I proposed to her in that summer. She moved in with me in November. We were excited about our
first Christmas together, you see. And one of the things Vanessa wanted to do as our
first Christmas together was to go get the tree together. I told her we could get an artificial
tree but she demanded a real, fir tree just like her family always had. Her family never
approved of me."

Marron nodded, and took a sip from her cocoa mug.

"We wanted to get our tree the week before Christmas Eve. I couldn't make it because of work. We
got in a big fight over how we were supposed to get a tree TOGETHER. And that night she decided
to go get a tree herself. She stormed out and I went to work 15 minutes later, thinking
everything was OK. She had her own car so she left. When I went to work, I told of my fight
with Vanessa to on of my co-workers, David. He convinced me to make-up with her and that he would
cover my shift. I thanked him and rushed to the tree sale lot, because I knew she was going to go
there, we had planned to go there. Besides, it's the only tree sale lot in all of Satan."

"Then what happened?"

"When I got there, there were lots of people watching and police cars everywhere. An ambulance
was also there. I rushed to see what happened, but a police officer would not let me come any
closer. I asked what happened and he quickly explained to me that a young woman of about 20
years old had driven her car off the mountain that the tree sale lot was on. The rescue workers
managed to pull her car up, but could not save her. I asked who she was and---and---"

"Was she Vanessa?"

Steve broke into a sob and Marron hugged him. She patted his back.

"Oh, it's ok, it's ok."

"If only I had valued her more than I did work---none of that would've happened and she would
be Mrs. Steve Yi by now and that---I just wanted to make sure our future was securred, you know?
I never wanted---"

"Shh, shh, I know."

Marron rushed to get the tissue box.

"I'm sorry, I should't have told you."

"No, no, It's ok. I glad you told me."

"I've never told anyone. Her parents blamed me for her death."

"No, it's not your fault, it never was."

Steve looked up at Marron and wiped his eyes with a tissue.

"You're a good friend, Marron."

"I'll always be your friend."




It was pass 1 o'clock and Marron had to be going. She had called a cab and it was waiting down
on the street. She was surprised that there were cab drivers working this late; especially on
Christmas Eve! Steve had offered to take her home; but she decided that one should not drive
when in a heart-broken situation such as he was. He gave her a coat and some cookies to take.
She thanked him and hugged him.

"Oh Marron. You never told me what happened tonight." he reminded her.

"Well, it wasn't important. Besides, if I had told you, I would've never heard your story
about Vanessa."

Steve nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have---" Marron began, but Steve stopped her.

"Do me a favor, Marron." he said.

"Anything."

"If there's one thing you learned around Christmas, learn this. And never forget it."

"Learn what?"

"When you've found that special person, the person you would die for, the person that you've
loved ever since the dawn of time and will forever love, when you've found them, never let
them go. Never doubt them. Never make stupid mistakes that you know you'll regret. Hold on
to them. Never ever let love pass you by because you're afraid. Always remember that."

Marron replayed the words in her mind again, thinking of Trunks and what happened earlier that
night. She designated a spot for those words not only in her mind but also in her heart. She
nodded and hugged Steve again.

"Thank you so much for all you've done." she said. "I hope to see you again soon. Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year. Good bye, Steve."

She walked down the silent hallway and heard Steve's door close behind her. She had really
learned something tonight, as she went through not only heartbreak, but heartache as well. But
in the end she learned something so priceless, she will remember it forever. "Never let love
pass you by because you're afraid." Marron got it. She broke into a run.

[I'm coming, Trunks.]



....end of Part 8!!




A/N: Whew, I hoped you liked that! Next time: Marron realizes how much Trunks means to her and
rushes to find him. Trunks is convinced by both Bra and Goten that Marron is the one for him
and that she was the one he has loved all this time. Will the two be eachother's Christmas
present on Christmas Day? Find out by reading Part 9!! Can I take a break now? My fingers hurt..