Chapter 9: On the Streets: Day One
"Now what?" Angel asked himself out loud, as he trudged down the dreary New York streets. Looking back at his now ex-boyfriend's apartment, a wave of memories of their relationship flashed through his mind. He loved Lenny so much, and it hurt to know that they weren't together anymore.
"I guess I'll go to the shelter," Angel grumbled, not wanting to walk around the city with his heavy suitcases. His skinny arms could only hold so much. "Where's the address?" he wondered as he dug through the outer pocket of his bag.
He found the paper with the address of the shelter, scrawled on in Lenny's chicken-scratch handwriting.
"419 east 11th street," he read to himself, as he unfolded the piece of paper to find a whole page of Lenny's sloppy writing. He sighed, and read the letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Angel Baby,
I'm watching you sleep right now. Sorry, that sounded kinda creepy. Well, it's our last night together, and I'm crying while I'm writing this to you. This is hard, and it's probably gonna come out as a bunch of sappy shit, but I just need to tell you everything, as if you don't already know.
I can't bear to lose you, baby, I love you too much, and it's not fair that my parents are doing this to us. We both knew they would react this way, though. I mean, come one, we were WAY too happy to stay the way we were. It was only a matter of time before someone/something tore our world apart.
I know we can't be together after tonight, and it hurts me like you wouldn't believe. Actually, I'm kinda hoping you don't know what I'm feeling, because you don't deserve this kind of pain, but I know you hurt like I do, and that hurts me even more. We really will never see each other. The military school is far away. I think my dad said Ohio, or something. It sounds like I won't even be able to come home for a few months. I'm so sorry you have to go to that shelter. I wish like hell I could take you to military school with me, but obviously I can't. It's way too expensive, and angels don't belong in such a horrible place.
I'll never forget you, though. Jesus, I feel like I'm just living in some bad romance novel. You taught me things I'd never learn otherwise. You even introduced me to food I never would have eaten. Who would have thought snail could actually taste good? But, seriously, you are the most selfless person in the world, and I know you'd do anything for me, and I'd do anything for you, too. I meant it when I told you you were amazing. It's like nothing bothers you, and you love everyone for exactly who they are. If I ever end up being half the person you are, I'll be a good man.
I'll love you forever, and when I say that I really truly mean it. Before I met you, I didn't know I was gay. I mean, I had thought about it a lot, and I knew it was a definite possibility, but I was never actually ATTRACTED to another man before you. I liked girls, I guess kinda out of habit. The rest of the guys liked girls, so why shouldn't I? But then there was you. You, with your drums and everything. I remember when I first met you in our improv class. I was just drawn to you. And then we started dating and. alright, I'm rambling, but it was like a dream come true. You're perfect for me, and I only hope that I made you as happy as you made me.
What you said tonight, about if we're meant to be together, then our paths will cross again, it made me sad. I know deep down, we probably won't see each other again any time soon. I love you, though. I really do, with everything I have. I'd give up the world for you if I could, and I hope to God that we're meant to be together. But if we're not, then I just want you to know what you've done for me. You've changed me in so many ways; I can't even begin to explain. You are the most wonderful person I've ever known. Never change.
I love you with all of my heart,
Lenny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time he was done reading the letter, Angel could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Lenny was never that expressive to him. He wasn't the kind of person who said things like that. Knowing that Lenny was feeling the same pain he was hurt him like a thousands knives. He really did love Lenny, and he believed what he had said. They probably wouldn't meet again. And that hurt like hell.
His tears began to freeze from the bitterly cold night air. He picked up his bags once again, and began to walk to the shelter, leaving his first love behind.
"Now what?" Angel asked himself out loud, as he trudged down the dreary New York streets. Looking back at his now ex-boyfriend's apartment, a wave of memories of their relationship flashed through his mind. He loved Lenny so much, and it hurt to know that they weren't together anymore.
"I guess I'll go to the shelter," Angel grumbled, not wanting to walk around the city with his heavy suitcases. His skinny arms could only hold so much. "Where's the address?" he wondered as he dug through the outer pocket of his bag.
He found the paper with the address of the shelter, scrawled on in Lenny's chicken-scratch handwriting.
"419 east 11th street," he read to himself, as he unfolded the piece of paper to find a whole page of Lenny's sloppy writing. He sighed, and read the letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Angel Baby,
I'm watching you sleep right now. Sorry, that sounded kinda creepy. Well, it's our last night together, and I'm crying while I'm writing this to you. This is hard, and it's probably gonna come out as a bunch of sappy shit, but I just need to tell you everything, as if you don't already know.
I can't bear to lose you, baby, I love you too much, and it's not fair that my parents are doing this to us. We both knew they would react this way, though. I mean, come one, we were WAY too happy to stay the way we were. It was only a matter of time before someone/something tore our world apart.
I know we can't be together after tonight, and it hurts me like you wouldn't believe. Actually, I'm kinda hoping you don't know what I'm feeling, because you don't deserve this kind of pain, but I know you hurt like I do, and that hurts me even more. We really will never see each other. The military school is far away. I think my dad said Ohio, or something. It sounds like I won't even be able to come home for a few months. I'm so sorry you have to go to that shelter. I wish like hell I could take you to military school with me, but obviously I can't. It's way too expensive, and angels don't belong in such a horrible place.
I'll never forget you, though. Jesus, I feel like I'm just living in some bad romance novel. You taught me things I'd never learn otherwise. You even introduced me to food I never would have eaten. Who would have thought snail could actually taste good? But, seriously, you are the most selfless person in the world, and I know you'd do anything for me, and I'd do anything for you, too. I meant it when I told you you were amazing. It's like nothing bothers you, and you love everyone for exactly who they are. If I ever end up being half the person you are, I'll be a good man.
I'll love you forever, and when I say that I really truly mean it. Before I met you, I didn't know I was gay. I mean, I had thought about it a lot, and I knew it was a definite possibility, but I was never actually ATTRACTED to another man before you. I liked girls, I guess kinda out of habit. The rest of the guys liked girls, so why shouldn't I? But then there was you. You, with your drums and everything. I remember when I first met you in our improv class. I was just drawn to you. And then we started dating and. alright, I'm rambling, but it was like a dream come true. You're perfect for me, and I only hope that I made you as happy as you made me.
What you said tonight, about if we're meant to be together, then our paths will cross again, it made me sad. I know deep down, we probably won't see each other again any time soon. I love you, though. I really do, with everything I have. I'd give up the world for you if I could, and I hope to God that we're meant to be together. But if we're not, then I just want you to know what you've done for me. You've changed me in so many ways; I can't even begin to explain. You are the most wonderful person I've ever known. Never change.
I love you with all of my heart,
Lenny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time he was done reading the letter, Angel could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Lenny was never that expressive to him. He wasn't the kind of person who said things like that. Knowing that Lenny was feeling the same pain he was hurt him like a thousands knives. He really did love Lenny, and he believed what he had said. They probably wouldn't meet again. And that hurt like hell.
His tears began to freeze from the bitterly cold night air. He picked up his bags once again, and began to walk to the shelter, leaving his first love behind.