AN: All right, so this is the sequel to my first Rent fic, Abeth. But don't worry, you don't need to have read it to understand this one.
If you haven't read "Abeth", let me catch you up: Abeth was taken to New York by her step-father, who she ended up running away from. She ended up meeting and living with the Bohos and started falling for Mark. But, knowing she was so young, he knew he had to push her back into school and away from their lifestyle. In the end, she found Penny, the daughter of an old boyfriend of her mother's. She ended up moving in with Penny and her father and leaving the Bohos, and Mark, behind.
This chapter is pretty much just what the Bohos have been up to since Abeth left.
Anyways, please review!
Prologue: I Can Do This:
I can do this.
Roger inhaled deeply.
"Mimi?"
"Yeah?"
"I, uh… I need to…" He knelt down on the sidewalk.
"What are you-"
"I just can't wait any more, Meems. I just need to know I'm going to be with you forever."
It took her a moment to register what he was doing.
She caught her breath. "Roger…"
"Mimi Marquez, will you marry me?" he asked, tears glittering in the corner of his eyes, as he held out a black box with a delicate gold ring.
She was stunned. And for a moment she focused on catching her breath agaib. This wasn't supposed to happened to her. Things like this don't happen to girls like her.
"A-are you sure?"
"Sure?" Roger repeated, big, goofy grin spreading over his face. "Yes. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
Tears slid down her cheeks, though she didn't notice them. She nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course I'll marry you, Roger."
Both their hands shakey, he slipped the ring onto her finger. "Who knows," he whispered to her, "here goes."
I can do this.
Joanne mustered up her all courage.
"Maureen, I'm not going to take this anymore."
"Take what?" Maureen spat.
"This selfish, irresponsible-"
"You're pretty quick to throw adjectives out there. I've got a few for you, too, you know!"
"Childish!" Joanne cried.
"How about controlling? Patronizing? Uptight? Any of those ringing any bells?"
"You're manipulative and oblivious to anything that doesn't revolve around you. And I've had enough."
"Fine," Maureen hissed, "I'll move out. See if I care."
"This isn't like all the other times," Joanne sighed, sitting down. She looked up at Maureen, still standing with her arms folded defiantly across her chest. "This is for real."
"Damn straight it's for real!"
Joanne shook her head. "No. I want you to move you. For good. Forever."
Maureen's arms slowly fell to her sides. "Don't be so overdramatic…" she said, though she began to look worried about the way things were headed. She'd never admit how scared she was.
"I'm not trying to be, but… How long have we been at this, Maureen? Years? This on-again, off-again thing just isn't working."
"Well… what do you want me to do about it?"
"That's just it. You can't do anything."
Maureen sat down beside her. "You're being ridiculous."
Joanne just shook her head. She twisted a big, metal ring off of her finger and placed it in Maureen's hand. "Here," she said, softly.
"No, I… No!" Maureen pushed it back into her hand. "Look, I know we don't always get a long and I know I'm not the easiest person to be with, but… but we wouldn't have always gotten back together again is we weren't supposed to!"
Joanne bit her lip. "You're making this harder then it has to be."
"I am?" Maureen cried. "I'm trying to save us!"
Joanne just shook her head slowly as she stood up, smooth her pants. "Goodbye, Maureen," she said softly as she left the apartment.
"Joanne!" Maureen cried. "Joanne!"
But she had left.
I can do this.
I need to do this. If I don't, then I stay in the same fucking spot I've always been in.
The alley was dark and wet and Mark shoved his hands deep in his pockets as he made his way down it. A shadowy figure became clearer as he nearer, shifting back and forth, waiting for him.
"Got any C, man?"
"I'm cool."
"Got any D, man?"
"I'm cool."
"Got any X, any smack, any horse, any joogie-woogie boy, any blow?"
"I'm cool," the figure said again.
"Just gimmie the dope," Mark hissed.
"All right, all right," the man said, smoothly, "let's not get too jumpy, four-eyes. I got it."
The man held out his hand and Mark slipped his a wad of bills, looking nervously over his shoulder. Then the man took Mark's hand and slipped two little bags, tied up tight and filled with brown powder. "Don't spend it all in one place," the man smiled.
Mark just nodded, glad to be headed out of the alley, glad to be away from the man. But the bags weighed heavy in his hands and on his conscious.
I'll stop soon. I'm almost done.
I can do this.
"You look nervous," Penny smiled as she watched her surrogate sister pack her last suitcase.
"Nervous? I'm fucking terrified."
"Why?"
Abeth looked up at Penny. "What if they don't like me?" she asked.
Penny laughed. "This isn't the first day of kindergarten, Abby."
"No, I'm serious. What publisher is going to want me?"
"The ones waiting in New York," Penny said, simply.
"New York!" Abeth cried, flinging her arms up in the air. "That's another thing! It's going to be weird going back…"
"It'll be fine," Penny smiled, putting her arm around Abeth's shoulders.
Abeth sighed. "You think I'll see any of them?"
Her sister shrugged. "Maybe. Either way," she said, pulling her into a hug, "this will be great for you."
"Thanks," Abeth smiled, hugging back.
Now Penny held her out at arm's length. "Listen. I won't be mad if you decide not to come back."
"Pen, can we just not-"
"No, hear me out. If you want to stay… we'll understand."
Abeth just nodded, sadly. "You think I can really do this?"
"Oh, please. I know you can."
I can do this.
Gray sky. Gray grass. Gray tress. Gray clouds. Gray headstone.
But still he never associated her with gray. Green like her tights, pink like her lips, red like her costume. But gray was becoming his colour now.
Gray blood, gray thoughts, gray bones, gray heart, he thought in his gray mind.
"Isn't this supposed to get easier?" he asked her.
Bitterly, he realized that this was his actual reality. Disease, sadness, and death. That's what was real now.
Last month, Gordon had died.
"I miss you," he said. "We all do. Mark…" He forced a little smile, a little one for her. "Mark says you help him. He says he hears you. And Mimi… she dreams about you." He swallowed back the tears he wouldn't let fall - not again.
"I don't hear you. I don't dream."
A gray wind blew and he was cold.
Just slip me on, I'll be your blanket.
"And I just want so badly to see you."
He stared at her neatly engraved name. It didn't fit her at all. All the letters the same seize, colour, and depth - no way to represent her.
"Do you remember me? When I die… are you gunna still know me?"
Finally, his gray tears fell.
"I love you, Angel. I'll be back tomorrow." He sighed. "Goodbye, love."
And he left to dream gray dreams that Halloween night.
Angel sat comfortably atop the grave stone, legs neatly crossed, as she watched him walk away. Not gray for too long, she knew.
AN: Yeah, so that last one was mega-cheese, but...
