Disclaimer: RENT is not mine, though this is my first RENT fic! I have employed TIME WARP TECHNOLOGY, too! -squeals- Okay, it's after New Year's, but they have the loft with all its stuff. Mimi and Roger are as happy together as kids with candy. It's 1989 and 2005-6 at the same time. Yeah, I think that's it. Time warps end! -LostOzian
Did you actually read all that? If you didn't, you should, or else you will flame me senselessly. I know how the show goes. -LostOzian
Maureen poked her head around Mark and Roger's loft door cartoon-style, pulled it out, and stuck it in again, looking downright silly.
"What's up, Maureen?" Collins asked, sitting on the couch with Angel in his lap. Roger and Mimi were in the kitchen, alternately assembling something to resemble dinner and making out, and Mark was in his room, stressing about something. Joanne was at a court case, and nobody cared where the hell Benny was anymore, because he was a jerk now. Maureen stepped into the loft, hiding something behind her back.
"It's January," she said. "Cold, dreary January with nothing to do and not a single greeting-card holiday until Valentine's Day. Until then, I have the perfect project to keep us entertained," Maureen produced a very thick stack of paper from behind her back.
"We'll put on Wicked!" she said excitedly. "That musical with the Wicked Witch of the West!" All activity stopped as they turned to look at Maureen. She continued babbling on regardless.
"I've already thought about casting, and I'm sure we can pull it off with seven people. And I've got the sheet music and libretto copies for us to rehearse with!" Angel stood, leaving a lonely Collins on the couch, and took the stack of paper from Maureen.
"Chica, where'd you get all this?" she said. Maureen smiled smugly.
"Found it on the internet," she said. "At a free public library, and then I stole Joanne's floppy disk to copy it over and get it printed at her office!" She clapped her hands together. "But don't tell her the part about stealing the disk." Angel started flipping through the script, getting the general gist of the show.
"We'll be just like an acting troupe; minimal costumes and set, focusing on our talents as performers." Maureen smiled winningly, trying to con her fellow bohemians. "Jo's already in," she said convincingly. The two happy couples of RENT looked at their significant other, trying to decide if they should play along with the resident diva.
"I did check my sock drawer, and my you hid my scarf, Roger-" Mark said as he entered the room, before noticing Maureen. He swallowed; trying to make sure he didn't say 'hi' and make a fool of himself. Maureen practically jumped on him, taking his hands and spinning him around in an insane game of Orbit.
"Mark! I got an illegal copy of the script to Wicked, and I was wondering if you would want to sing and dance and act and be the all-around the nice guy you are!" Maureen stopped spinning, but Mark continued to trip over his feet in tiny circles. His glasses were askew, and Collins would have sworn his eyes were rolling in different directions.
"Uh…only if I get a sneaker," he said confusedly. Roger buried his face in Mimi's shoulder to keep from openly laughing at Mark. Maureen turned on the rest of them, not happy that she only had two out of six signed on.
"Please?" she begged. "Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Plea-"
"Chica, if you stop begging, I'll do it," Angel said. Collins nodded, face lighting up as Angel returned to her seat in his lap.
"If Ang's in, I'm in," he said. Maureen turned to Mimi and Roger.
"Mimi? We need the dancing queen…" she said. Mimi looked up at Roger.
"Could be fun," she said. Roger raised his eyebrows. "Let's do it, Rog." Finally, Roger shrugged, the sign he was in. Maureen squealed in excitement.
"My God, you guys, this is going to be so much fun!" she said. "As soon as Joanne gets here, we'll start the first read through."
"You called, Mo?" Joanne said, pulling the loft door which Maureen had neglected to close open wider. Maureen squealed, running up to her girlfriend and giving her a hug and a kiss.
"Pooky! Perfect timing!" Maureen said, starting to hand out the scripts. Joanne just nodded, smiling slightly. Mark did a double-take, from the diva to the lawyer, before approaching Joanne.
"How did she get you to agree?" Mark asked. Joanne kind of bit her lip.
"It was really sudden," she said. "Maureen started spinning me around and babbling, and it sounded like some sort of question, so I said yes." Mark nodded. They were both dancing her tango. Again.
"Come on," he said. "Let's go get our brains tortured."