AN: I realized this story was getting waaay to long so I went back and added "What I want you to take" (short for "what I want you to take from this chapter") at the bottom of each chapter. If you're board with it, I take no offense if you feel the need to just scroll down and read my Cole's Notes versions of whats going on :)


"You know I looked good."

"Maureen, it was leather."

"And that's hot, right?"

"I'm just surprised Joanne was caught dead with you in that thing."

"Shut up, guys. You looked great, Maureen."

"Thank you, Mimi. Now I see who my real friends are."

"I was too wasted to remember that suit, anyways."

Maureen playfully pushed Joanne's shoulder. "You loved it. You told me so." She looped her arm through Mark's. "I looked hot, didn't I, Marky?"

Mark stared at his shoes. "Yes Maureen, but you know... I have that thing for cats."

Collins lit a cigarette. "Wait... he's kidding, right?"

Maureen shrugged, letting go of his arm. "Never told me about it."

"I was kidding."

"Oh, Mark," Roger sighed, "always such a laugh."

"Well, I was thinking that this year, I'd do a little navy outfit for New Year's. Whaddyah think?"

Joanne kicked an empty bottle off of the sidewalk as they passed.

"A sailor? What does that have to do with anything?" Collins asked.

Maureen thought for a minute. "Yeah... You're right."

"Why don't you just go as yourself?" Roger looked her up and down. "Could pass for a costume."

Mimi punched him in the shoulder. "Hey! She's a creative-stylistic-non-conformist."

"It has a name?"

"Wait... maybe Roger's right. I could be the dyke with the mic!"

Joanne groaned.

"Okay..." Mimi mumbled, "scratch 'creative'."

"No? ...okay, no."

"Hold up," said Collins as he flicked he cigarette butt into a garbage can they passed, "I wanna hear more about Mark's cat thing."

"What can I say? It's the fluffy tails."

Mimi meowed at him, clawing the air.

Joanne pulled her coat closer around her. "This better not be a play on the word 'pussy'."

"Haven't been a princess yet. Can you slutty-up a princess?"

Mimi waved her hand in the air. "Change of subject, please?"

"Cats."

"Wait, I want to hear more about this slutty princess," Roger smiled.

"Nawh..." Maureen said, shaking her head, "I'd just end up looking like a hooker or something."

Mimi groaned. "Are we there yet? My feet hurt."

"Just a guess," said Collins, "but it might be those twelve-inch heels you got on there."

"Hey," Maureen said, her face lighting up, "can I borrow them if I decide to go as hooker-princess?"

"I draw the line at leather-cat!" cried Joanne.

"You're the one who wanted to try this place," Roger pointed out.

"It was good, wasn't it?"

"Hey," Mark put in, "I offered to bring you guys one-by-one on my bike. You're lose."

"I got it! The Wicked Witch of the West!"

"Rog, give me a piggy-back."

"You're such a child," he said, lifting her up.

"You could be Dorothy!"

"No..."

"Toto?"

"Why don't you borrow Mimi's boots and go in your old costume?" Mark suggested.

"How would that...?"

"You could be Puss in Boots."

Maureen laughed. "Mark, you're a genius!"

"You just had to go and encourage it," Joanne smiled, nudging him with her elbow.

He shrugged. "I do what I can."


What I want you to take: Happy Renties are walking home after dinner.