Now is the Month of April

By: Television Jett

Summary: We go back to Mimi and Benny's relationship then to Roger and Mimi's, this is just the beginning…

Warnings: A few curse words here and there. Kinda depressing.

A/N: Please don't be hesitant to leave a reply to let me know how you think it's going. Or if you have any suggestions to plot. And I will be putting in little characters here and there, so if anyone's interested in becoming a character please let me know.

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Sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Mimi sat looking out her window. She was just waiting for Benny to call; she had just met him at some party the other night he was with some of his friends. She remembered one in particular, a nice looking blonde. She couldn't really remember his name. Reggie, Roover, Rooger, Rog…something like that. She thought.

She sighs. In her small living space that's considered her room, she feels confined. She wants to get out. She simply needs to get away to somewhere. She wished that Benny would hurry up and call. She knew that she could look forward to getting out the house then

-Ring, Ring-

Mimi jumped in excitement and began to get her things ready so that she could leave. She just knew it was Benny.

"Hello"

"Hi, is this Mimi"

"Yeah, who's this" with obvious disappointment. She hoped that it would be Benny to save her from her hellhole she called a home. And on top of that she was hungry. And with no money she would depend on Benny to get her a decent meal. He had become her crutch. She knew that she needed to stop. There was the possibility of the job at the Cat Scratch Club. She could dance, it was in her blood.

"It's April, I'm calling for Benny" April? Who in the hell...oh yea. She was there last night too. She thought, but couldn't undertand why would Benny have April call her. "He wanted me to let you know that he can't make it tonight. But if you have no food, you're always welcome over to the loft and have what we have, which isn't much."

I don't need anyone's charity. Who does she think she is? Mimi was not about to allow someone – that wasn't Benny – to feed her, she had too much pride. She didn't care if she didn't eat or not. "No, that's fine. I've got food…what was your name again?"

"Uh…April – I'm coming Roger, uh…ok then, he says he'll call."

-click-…dial tone.

Screw this! She thought I'm getting that damn job…I need it now…

She picks up the phone, which works only because she's tapped into some old woman's phone who wouldn't be able to hear the atomic bomb go off, and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket with a number on it. She dial, it rang…

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Sitting in the dinky apartment that he must call his own, Benny sat with his group of best friends. He came home from being out and about to find the loft in total silence and everyone just staring at the walls. He didn't know what was going on at first but he could tell that it wasn't something good. By the morbid look on everyone's faces it was obvious that something big just happened.

Earlier that day Benny asked April, whom he established a great relationship with, to call Mimi and call off the day. He didn't give a reason why but he needed a break for a little bit. He just wanted some alone time. He didn't think that it would be too much of a problem because Roger and April were already on their way to the clinic and there was a phone nearby.

Benny couldn't grasp what was going on. He just couldn't get all the long faces. Everyone was looking as though someone had just died.

"What happened?" He asked. He just wanted to know what was going on and if he needed to prepare for anything, not like he could anyway. Benny's eyes met Mauren for a quick second before she escaped his gaze and walked out of the room followed by Mark. Collins looked around and just shook his head, indicating that Benny shouldn't say anything else. The worse of all were Roger and April. They looked as if the world was over and they knew it all to well.

"I don't get it…"

April simply gets up and walks over to Benny and puts her arms around him. This was usual for them because Benny and April have a great relationship. April would always come to him with her problems and Benny to her. It was obvious that she felt compelled not to be on Roger for some reason unknown to Benny.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked her. April just nodded and they walked into Benny's room, in which he shared with Collins. "What's going on?"

April was hesitant. "Well…when we…um…me and Roger didn't go to the clinic for a regular check-up…but to get tested…"

"For what?"

"Let me explain everything first…we've- well at first I then...we've been using…I got Roger on drugs…I brought it up to him and told him how free he would be if he tried it…how free he would be if he had it all the time…it's my fault…I brought the needles in…I brought everything…he told me he'd never done it before, but I knew that he would because he didn't want me to do it alone. At first he tried to talk me out of doing it, but after a couple of times he just succumbed to what was there…he didn't need it…it was my fault…"

"But I don't understand…what was your fault?" It didn't occur to Benny what April was trying to tell him.

"I…we...we've got aids…we've...got aids...and it's all my fault..." A single tear falls from April's eye.

"What? You…have aids…that's what you were tested for?" April simply nodded her head. She was feeling lost and alone. How could Roger ever love me now?...I've ruined his life…I've ruined everything. She thought. She didn't know what to do. "But.."

"Can we please change the subject? I know I said I did, but I just really don't want to talk about it…"

"Well, my job's going great. And I met this girl name Alison…she's nice, but just a friend. I'm still with Mimi…" April just smiled and nodded with tears in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to be too happy at that moment. She'd completely ruined Roger's life and hers. Why was I so stupid? I should have listened to reasoning. I should have paid attention in health class instead of skipping for an extra 15 minute break.

"Benny…I can see you're going places…you've got a great job and you and Mimi couldn't be better off...promise me something…if you never keep any promise of mine after this day, I beg that you keep this one…" Benny was confused, he didn't know what April was about to ask him.

"April don't talk like that…it's depressing"

"Welcome to my new life…the one I stole from…" April's tears began to run freely now. She put her face into her hands and began to shake from the crying. Benny patted her on the back.

"April it's going to be okay."

April jerked her head up. "No, don't you understand…it will NEVER be the same…NEVER!...and it's all my fault!...just promise me that you'll take care of them…"

"April maybe I should-"

"PROMISE ME!...please…promise me…"

"Ok…I promise…"