Author's Note: No, I am not dead. I just got kind of lazy…I needed a break. A rather long one :-/. Sorry for the people who are still waiting for an update on HDYLTPB, I promise I haven't abandoned it, and when I have the time I'll update it. Anyway this is pre-RENT, it's a Mimi-fic, whatever you'd want to call it. Hope you like. And review if you want my other story to see the light of day ever again (mwah haha…)
Disclaimer Note: I don't own (some of) these characters, blah blah blah…
Seventeen year-old Mimi Marquez shifted her bright purple duffle bag onto her other shoulder, and the weight from the strap dug into her arm painfully. With her free hand, she pushed her wild brunette curly hair out of her face. The city seemed a lot bigger than it had when she'd lived there. Of course, that was years ago.
Even though she was still in high school (though she hadn't sat through a whole day of class for as long as she could remember,) Mimi had taken it upon herself to move out of her house. Well, technically her stepfather kicked her out. But she'd been wanting to leave that shitty split-level forever. Having Rich screaming at her to get the fuck out of there was a relief, because at least now she knew she had his permission. Her mother had died when she was a kid, and her stepfather, whom her mother had married shortly after Mimi was born, rarely did anything other than drink and shout and tell Mimi how slutty she was dressed, or scream at her about the phone calls he'd been getting about how she hadn't been in class for the past couple of weeks.
So she left. She packed her bag, just with clothes and money (most of which she'd stolen from Rich's wallet), and bought a bus ticket to the last place where she'd felt truly at home; New York City.
When she was little, when her mother was still alive, she would go with her mother and older sister Isabella to the city every once in a while, sometimes to the theatre or ballet, or just out to dinner. It was only an hour's drive by car, and sometimes they took the bus. Isabella now lived in the Bronx with her boyfriend, and Mimi hadn't spoken to her in a long time. After their mother died, it seemed that they drifted apart. That was alright though. She didn't need anyone else. As long as she had the money to survive, she'd be fine. She'd get a job, and an apartment. She'd do alright.
Mimi stared at the subway map, her eyes straining, as she tried to figure out where she was. She could barely concentrate as the roar of the shuttle ran by, and an elderly African American man played his ukulele in the corner as people dropped a few coins at his feet.
It was too bad she never took up an instrument, Mimi thought. She could've made a living by playing the guitar or something on the Subway.
She studied the map a bit longer, and slowly, it began to made sense to her, and she figured out which line to take to get to SoHo.
She retrieved her metro card from her bag, and hurried over to the subway, stepping inside just as the doors were closing.
There were a few empty seats, and Mimi sat down, trying to ignore the fact that the man standing across from her was staring at her a little too intently. She pretended to fiddle with the strap of her bag, and then leaned down to pull up the zipper on her knee-length boots that she'd 'borrowed' from a friend.
She'd get a job as a waitress, maybe, she decided. Or a cashier. Something that didn't involve too much of her time. Maybe if she came to work on time and if her boss liked her, she could take days off, even. She could look for one of those 1-bedroom apartments downtown.
The subway came to a halt, and several people came in and out, transferring to other cars. The man across from her remained where he was, his knuckles gripped tightly around the bar above his head.
A girl with short-reddish hair, wearing a leather skirt and fishnets stumbled into the car, plopping down into a seat and sprawling out as she pleased. Although her hair was an unnatural red color, the girl looked like she was of Spanish descent. She began picking at her neon-painted nails.
"Excuse me?"
Mimi looked up.
The man who'd been standing across from her hovered above her, looking down at her, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He cleared his throat and coughed into his hand.
"Would you like to come home with me?" he said.
Mimi blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I said, would you like to come home with me? I could show you a good time," he grinned, revealing a yellowed smile.
The girl with the red-hair watched the two of them, suddenly interested.
"No thank you," Mimi said, flatly.
"Aw, come on, you look like a girl who knows how to have a fun time," the man protested, placing his hand on her knee.
"Please don't touch me," Mimi said quietly, moving her legs and pulling her skirt over her knees.
"Don't be such a prude, babe. I promise you it'll be worth it," he rasped. "What do you want, I can pay you, you know."
Any other people in the car who had been listening looked away then, not wanting to interfere. That was the funny thing about New York. There could be a crowd of people all talking at once, but everyone always seemed to mind their own business. The red-head was the only one still looking at Mimi and the man who was leaning towards Mimi, a little too close for comfort.
"Listen, asshole," Mimi said angrily, through gritted teeth. "I want you to leave me alone. Okay? Just go away."
"Aw what's wrong, you don't warm up to people easily?" he laughed. "What's the bag for? Your boyfriend kick you out or something?" he asked, nudging the duffel bag with the toe of his boot.
"Hey!" the red-head said suddenly, standing to her feet. She grabbed one of the poles to steady herself. "She just told you to leave you alone."
The man looked at the girl, surprised. "You gonna make me, Pippi Longstocking?" he said, with an amused expression on his face.
The girl crossed her arms over her chest, revealing a tattoo of a rose on her upper arm.
"No," she said. "But there's a cop in the next car who I'm sure would love to deal with you. Unless you fuck off. Now."
The man looked angered, realizing he'd been defeated. "Dyke," he mumbled under his breath to the girl as he shoved past her. "Not my fault your friend's a goddamn tease."
"Thank you," Mimi said, once the man had left the car.
"Hey, no problem. I know how that goes, it's happened to me plenty of times. You just have to know how to handle yourself," the girl said, resitting herself next to Mimi. "Do you mind?"
"No, go ahead," Mimi moved her bag and shifted over so that the girl could sit.
"What's in the bag? Are you a runaway or something?"
Mimi couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. I am, actually."
The red-head laughed. "That's great. You got a place to stay?"
"No," Mimi admitted. "I figured I'd just kind of camp out somewhere…"
"Camp out? Downtown? That's like trying to get yourself mugged," the girl grinned, showing straight white teeth, and a slightly chipped front tooth. "Why don't you stay with me? My friend and I have a place not too far from here. It's on Greenwich street. It's no fucking motel, but we've got a pull-out couch and everything. What do you say?"
Mimi hesitated. "Are you sure it's not a problem?" she asked.
"It's fine! We don't bite, I promise," she smiled. "And besides, I'd hate to see a nice girl like you end up getting mugged on the street or something.
Mimi chuckled to herself at the term nice girl. "Well, thank you," she said, relieved that she wouldn't have to sleep on a bench that night.
"I'm Edith, by the way," the girl said, sticking out her hand. "My friends usually call me Edie, though."
"I'm Mimi," Mimi said, taking her hand.
"That's cute. How long are you in the city for?"
Mimi shrugged. "Forever, I guess. Unless something goes wrong."
Edie laughed. "Sounds like a plan."
"You can just toss your bag anywhere," Edie said to Mimi as she shoulder the front door to the apartment open. "There're only four rooms…there's the bedroom, the bathroom-which you should be careful of when flushing, by the way…and then there's the kitchen, which is like two feet wide, and then there's the living room. Where you'll sleep."
"This is really nice of you," Mimi said, shaking her head as Edie switched on the light.
"It's no problem. Oh yeah, and I wouldn't recommend drinking from the sink either. Not unless you wanna drink toilet water."
Mimi made a face. "Thanks for the warning." She sat down on the couch and pulled at a loose thread on its arm. "So, do you live here with your boyfriend?"
Edie snorted. "Honey, I'm a lesbian."
Mimi turned bright red. "Oh," she stumbled, "Sorry…"
"That's okay. Maria and I've been living together for a couple of months now. Speak of the devil, where the hell is she? MARIA!" she yelled in no particular direction.
"Coming, babe!" 'Maria' shouted back.
Mimi and Edie heard the sound of a toilet flush, and Maria emerged, drying her hands on her green cargo pants. She looked to be of Asian descent, and her black hair was pulled into pigtails on either side of her head.
"Who's this?" she asked, seeing Mimi.
Edie grinned. "I found a stowaway on the subway. Her name's Mimi. I told her she could sleep on the couch until she gets a place of her own. I'll vouch for her, she's not crazy. At least, I hope not," she laughed, and Mimi smiled.
Maria shrugged. "Alright, it's cool I guess." She glanced at Edie. "You've told her about us, right?"
"Yeah, I told her."
"Good." Maria smoothed out strands of hair that had loosened from her pigtails. "You know, Mitch is having a party tonight. Over on Elizabeth. What do you say?"
Edie glanced at Mimi. "Would you mind?"
"No, not at all," Mimi assured her.
"There'll be alcohol," Edie teased.
Mimi smiled. "I'm game."
"How old are you, anyway?" Maria asked her.
"Seventeen. What about you guys?"
"Edie's nineteen. I'm twenty." Maria grinned. "So none of us are legal yet."
"Legal, schmegal," Edie sang. "We need to get ready."
"Alright, I just…don't have anything to wear," Mimi said, sheepishly.
Edie and Maria gave each other wild looks.
That's okay, hon, we'll just pick you out a little ensemble from the closet," Edie assured her, smiling. "You'll be the belle of the ball," she said, and Maria giggled.
Mimi smiled. How ironic to think that such a shaky start on the subway would end up so nicely?
A/N Review, or I will eat your young J New chapter coming soon.
