A/n: Yes, I got the smoking thing from "He's Just Not That Into You." Lol, it's a pretty good movie :)

Chapter 2

Joanne was sprawled out on the large double-bed, shuffling through a stack of paperwork when she heard the door to the apartment open and close softly. She shook her head, looking at the clock on the nightstand. It was 11:30 p.m., and Maureen was supposed to have been home two hours ago.

"Hey, baby!" Maureen leaned against the doorway, grinning like a fool. Joanne just looked at her with a disdainful expression, one eyebrow quirked.

Maureen tilted her head. "What?"

Joanne just shook her head, anger bubbling up inside of her. Still, she tried to speak calmly as Maureen walked over to her and sank down onto the bed, kneading Joanne's shoulders. This action usually made Joanne melt, but tonight was different. She'd had enough, that was for sure.

"You were supposed to be home two hours ago," Joanne said through her teeth, shrinking away from Maureen's touch.

Maureen sighed as if Joanne was being annoying. "Pookie, I was just at the Life Cafe! The audition didn't go so well, and I needed a drink!"

Joanne turned to look at Maureen, her dark eyes burning. "And you didn't think to call?!"

Maureen stood up, exasperated. "Jesus Christ, Joanne! Don't be so fucking...clingy! I just went for a drink, that's all! What'd you think, I was cheating on you?" She said the last sentence like the idea was completely ridiculous.

There was silence.

Maureen's mouth hung open. "Seriously? You're that insecure in our relationship?"

Joanne ran a hand through her hair. "Well, Maureen, you seem to flirt with everything that moves anyway, so I think you do a good job of making me constantly question this relationship, yes." She stayed glued to the bed, not able to move.

Maureen's eyes flashed incredulously.

They didn't speak for a moment, and finally Maureen's jaw unclenched and she sat back down on the bed, putting her head in her hands. She drew in a ragged breath. "Joanne, I'd never cheat on you."

Joanne didn't respond.

Maureen sighed and scooted closer to Joanne, putting a tentative hand on her shoulder. She moved in for what might've been a kiss, and Joanne might've reciprocated, but then she smelled Maureen's breath.

She tensed, moving away from her girlfriend.

She spoke quietly. "Maureen, have you been smoking?"

Maureen looked away, studying the bedspread. "Maybe."

Joanne finally stood up, biting her lip in anger. Her eye twitched, and Joanne knew that this would escalate into a full-blown fight, like it always did.

"So what, anyway? I mean, I'm a grown up and you're not my mother! I don't have to obey you or anything." Maureen looked at her challengingly.

Joanne shook her head in disgust. "We've had this discussion countless times! What part of my grandfather died from lung cancer don't you understand?! It's like you don't even care about what I think or say!" She yelled, her face set firmly in a scowl. This was the final straw. This was...

Maureen rolled her eyes. "No, but that doesn't mean-"

"Save it." Joanne cut her off coolly. "You can pack your things."

Maureen's mouth fell open. "What?"

Joanne shrugged. "I'm so tired of this, Maureen. I love you, I really do, but this just isn't working out. I'm so tired of the lying, the staying out all night! I feel like your mother! We can't even go a week without fighting!" She threw her hands up, a gesture that had "this is final" written all over it.

Maureen blinked back tears. "Fine!" She spat, grabbing her keys and purse. "I'll be back for my things. And I'm gonna smoke a whole fucking pack of these while I'm at the loft!" She waved her pack of camels at Joanne.

A few minutes later, Joanne heard the door slam, and she collapsed onto the bed weakly, letting the tears fall.

~x~

Maureen sat in front of Joanne, worry in her eyes. "Jeez, Joanne. I'm...I'm sorry."

Joanne shook her head, trying to smile. "Well, it doesn't matter now," she said lightly. Maureen clenched her fists, wanting badly to take Joanne's soft palm in hers, but she knew that it wouldn't be appropriate.

"I think you should hear what I've got to say about it, though," Maureen finished, raising a challenging eyebrow at Joanne. She nodded. "Go ahead, but it's not going to change anything."

Maureen arched an eyebrow. "Why would I think it would change anything?"

Joanne looked around, drumming her fingers on the tabletop. Finally, she looked back at Maureen again. "Never mind. Go ahead."

~x~

Maureen walked up the stairs to the fourth floor apartment, dragging her feet the entire way. She'd had a terrible day, and now all she wanted to do was go home and cuddle with Joanne, who could always make her feel better with a simple kiss and hug.

She'd gone to a very important audition earlier; one she'd been looking forward to for months. It was for the lead in an off-Broadway show, and this time, Maureen thought she'd had a good chance of at least getting a callback. When she got to the audition place, however, a line snaked out the door and around the corner. There was another line right next to it, but it was even longer.

Maureen tried to get in the shorter line, until she started chatting with a woman in front of her, and found out that it was the line for actors with Equity cards.

Maureen didn't have an Equity card yet, which was unfortunate, because she had to go stand in the longer line, which by then was even longer.

After five hours of waiting out in the February cold, Maureen finally went in to audition for the casting director.

"Hi, I'm-"

"Thank you." The director cut her off with a wave of his hand, motioning for the next woman to come in. Maureen's mouth fell open, and being Maureen, she decided to inquire as to why they were turning her away so quickly.

"What the hell, man? You didn't even let me sing my sixteen bars!"

The director shrugged in a "that's showbiz" kind of way. "Sorry, honey, but you aren't right for the part. You just don't have 'it'."

Maureen felt tears burn the back of her eyes, and she stalked out of the room before the director could see her cry.

On the way home from the Upper West Side studio, Maureen pulled out her stash of Camels, lighting one up and inhaling the sweet smoke.

She felt the muscles in her body relax slightly, and a less stressed-out feeling settled over her. Joanne hated it when she smoked, but Maureen only did it after a bad audition.

The cigarette didn't help much, though, and it was getting dark, so Maureen decided to stop in the Life Cafe for a beer or two. That was what she really needed, she decided.

Later, standing outside the door of her and Joanne's apartment, Maureen popped a mint into her mouth and twisted the knob, walking inside and quietly shutting it behind her.

~x~

"And you know the rest," Maureen said, shrugging.

Joanne gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry about your audition, Mo. I didn't know."

"No, you didn't," Maureen snapped, and Joanne threw her hands up in defense. "You just kicked me out!"

Finally she calmed down, and Joanne lowered her hands.

After a small silence, Joanne smirked. "I always knew I couldn't change you. I think that's what drew me to you in the first place, really. Your individuality. Have you ever noticed how what makes you love a person can end up making you totally pissed off, too?"

Maureen nodded in agreement. "Like the way you used to be so over-protective of me? I used to think you were my strong Joanne, always defending me, but...then it got to be pretty stifling."

Joanne looked at her and frowned. "Anyway," she said after awhile, "I think it's funny that we broke up, technically, because of a smoking issue. Because that's what you were doing when we first met, remember? Smoking." She laughed at the memory.

Maureen grinned with nostalgia. "Yeah. It's hard to believe that was three years ago," she said, and the waiter chose right then to come by their table.

"Hi again," he said with a smirk toward Maureen, and Joanne rolled her eyes. "More beer? Any food?"

Maureen glanced at Joanne. "Actually, Phil," Maureen said, reading his nametag, "I'm kind of hungry. Do you think you could get me a soy burger dinner, and a seaweed salad for the health nut over there?" She pointed at Joanne, who grinned at Maureen.

The waiter leaned in. "Are you sure you don't want a hot dog? They're really good here." He smiled flirtatiously, and Joanne wrinkled her nose at the weird pick-up line.

She was convinced that Maureen would flirt with him again, but she surprised Joanne yet again as she shook her head.

"I'm a vegetarian," she said flatly, and the waiter blushed. "Right, right. Sorry." He walked away, leaving Joanne and Maureen to re-live the memory of their first meeting.

Can you guess what the next chapter's gonna be about? ;) Reviewers get virtual cookies! With rainbow sprinkles, YAY!