"If you could change one thing that happened in your past, what would it be?"
Angel set her book down, "That's a deep question."
Collins laughed, "I'm a Philosophy Professor, Angel."
"Ahh… that's right," she teased. "I seem to have forgotten that. How about you Roger?"
Roger lifted his head up from his guitar, "What?"
Giggling, Angel said, "What would you change about your past?"
"Do I only get to choose one?" Roger grinned sarcastically. Swinging his instrument over his shoulder, he said, "Too many to choose from. I'll see you all later."
"Going to the Cat Scratch?" Collins asked.
"Yep," Roger smiled.
"Visiting Mimi, right?" Angel laughed.
"What?" Roger played, "Mimi works there?" Then he left, sliding the loft door shut behind him.
Angel got up and made some hot chocolate for herself and Collins. Pouring the steamy, brown liquid into two mugs, she asked, "What would you change?"
"Mhmm… I don't know. Maybe I'd change how I acted in high school," Collins said, taking the warm mug in his hands. "I was a jerk to a lot of people."
"Really?" Angel said, "That's what you'd change? What about AIDS, being almost-homeless, being disowned by your father?"
"Well…" Collins thought. "You tell me what you would change first, then I'll give my reasoning."
"Alright, I would have kept in touch with my sister. I always regretted losing contact with her, she meant so much to me," Angel smiled sadly. "And now, your reasoning!"
Collins laughed, "Well, my life has been no cake walk, as you know." He started counting things off on his fingers, "Coming out of the closet was awful, getting kicked out was worse, contracting AIDS, and losing my MIT job. Hell, I even got beat up on Christmas Eve!" he said.
Collins continued, "But you know what? I wouldn't change any of that. Because if I did, I would have never met you. And you," he touched the tip of her nose, "are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Awww!" Angel swooned, "You are the best thing that's ever been mine."
"I love you, Ang," Collins said. Just then, the anarchist felt a rush on cold water on his head, followed by many freezing ice cubes. "MAUREEN!" he yelled.
Maureen jumped up and down behind him, waving the now empty bucket in the air. "It's an ice breaker! Get it? It's my newest protest idea! We break the ice to protest the ground breaking!"
"The one where you dress as a ground hog is better," Angel commented.
Collins glared at her, "Maureen, please leave," he barked. "Do we have any towels?" he asked Angel.
Maureen slipped out the door, and Angel ran into the kitchen to look for a towel. "We only have one!" she shouted back at him.
Collins followed her into the kitchen, "Can I have it?" he asked.
"Mmm…" Angel pondered. "NO!" she giggled, running around the house with the last towel.
Collins chased after her, but pretty soon she was laughing so hard she had to stop running. He caught her in his arms, and snatched the towel from her hands. "I am so going to get you back," he threatened.
"No you won't," Angel argued.
"Oh yeah! And why's that?"
She smiled, "Because you love me too much."
He grunted, "I guess you're right."