Lulu Spencer was not a moning person. And the idea of having to get up extra early didn't sit well with her. But she had to get Johnny's suit to the cleaners. Lulu figured if she dropped it off before she headed to work, the suit would be ready by her lunch hour. What she hadn't figured, was the long line at the cleaners. Staring at her watch, Lulu became antsy. Not only did she have to drop this suit off, she also had to pick up Kate and Maxies' lattes. As the line began to move, Lulu breathed a sigh of relief. One by one people dropped off bundles of clothes until it was her turn.
"I need to have this suit cleaned." Lulu said as she placed the clothing on the counter.
The middle-aged woman popped her gum and handed Lulu a form and a pen. "Fill this out " she said.
Lulu took the pen and paper and did as she was told. When she approached the question about stains, she looked up at the woman. "There's a stain on the pants. My boyfriend said he spilled cream sauce on them." Lulu pointed to the spots with her pen.
Holding the pants up to get a better look, the woman chuckled. How many times had she heard stories like this? It amused her, the excuses people gave when they were too embarrassed to say what it really was. "O.K." she snickered.
"What? You don't think the stain will come out?" Lulu asked frantically. Although she didn't like the idea of Johnny and Maxie's outings, she didn't want him to catch hell from Kate. Plus the suit was expensive and he couldn't afford to replace it.
"The stain's not the problem. It's just, just cream sauce? Really?" The woman inched closer to Lulu, letting her know that it was alright to come clean.
"What about the cream sauce?" Lulu asked, becoming more and more agitated by the woman's line of questioning.
"I'm just saying", the woman began whispering, "there's no need to be bashful. We both know that it's not 'cream sauce' that's on your boyfriend's pants."
"What do you mean? That's what he said" Lulu's eyes narrowed in on the stain. Suddenly her world went numb. Thoughts of the two of them raged in her mind. The way Johnny and Maxie were always giggling. The way Johnny was always looking at Maxie. The odd glances they kept giving each other in the car last night. No. It wasn't cream sauce on his pants. It was evidence of their night of passion!
"Give me those pants." Lulu gritted through her teeth, snatching the clothes out of the woman's hand. She then pushed her way through the small line of people behind her and stormed out the door. If those two thought they were getting away with this, that she was kind of fool, they were sadly mistaken.
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Maxie sat at her kitchen table. Waking up this morning, she had hoped last night was some kind of dream. The pounding in her head told her otherwise. Now, she prayed that the hot cup of strong coffee and asprin were the cure to the massive headache she had. Maxie sat there in quiet contemplation about last night and what it meant. Spinelli had once told her there was a lesson to be learned in all mistakes. She wondered what her lesson was. As she drank her coffee and thought about it, ony one thing came to her mind. She loved Spinelli. She wanted him. The quirky nerd with the silly speech that was sleeping in her bed. The man whose kisses made her feel like the most beautiful creature on the planet. He once compared her to art, said it was the "absence of light" that made her a masterpiece. But he had only heard the horrible tales of her darkness, he never really experienced it. She was afraid he might think differently now. If he ever found out about last night, got to see first hand how dark the darkness really was, would he still feel the same way? Would he stay? If it was true that every junkie hit a rock bottom, then her's was last night. She was tired of the enchanting light of the bug zapper. Tired of her wings always burning. Taking a deep cleansing breath, she decided last night didn't happen. And it wouldn't again.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps behind her. Turning to see who had interupted her, Maxie froze. Johnny's eyes met her's. They were both nervously trying to search the other's face to see what they were thinking. Maxie turned her head quickly and stared into the blackness of her coffee. Maybe he would go away if she didn't say anything. But he wasn't going away. Instead, he quietly walked over to the table and sat down with his own cup of coffee.
"Maxie we need to talk."he said looking at her.
"No we don't!" she replied quickly, her eyes still fixed on her coffee.
"Yes we do!" he whispered shouted. His head was hurting too. Why was she being so difficult? He just wanted to tell her last night was a mistake and he had no intentions on continuing this stupid game with her. Was she not finished playing? It didn't matter if she wasn't done cause he sure as hell was. Lulu was too valuable a chip to throw on the table. He was folding his hand and walking away. And if she had any sense, she'd do it too. Johnny knew Maxie loved Spinelli, even if she didn't. Despite everything that happened last night, Maxie was still his friend. He wasn't about to let her throw away the best thing in her life. "Maxie, last night, was a-"
"Nothing happened last night!" Maxie snapped. Why couldn't he leave it alone? Couldn't he see that the sooner they forgot about it, the faster they could go on with their lives. He with Lulu, she and Spinelli.
Sighing in frustration, Johnny spoke. "I don't think us having sex was nothing. I think it was a-"
"Sex, Johnny? Sex? Really? I wouldn't call the thirty seconds we had sex. It was nothing!" Maxie spat. Her eyes were icy and dark, piercing through Johnny.
The thirty second comment really hurt his pride. A part of him was ready to walk back to the table and play another hand. Then he saw Lulu's smiling eyes and knew he couldn't take that chance. "I'm just saying that whatever it was, whatever's been going on with us, it stops now!" Johnny yelled back. Grabbing his coffee cup he angrily pushed his chair away from the table and headed for the front door. If his head wasn't swimming from the hangover and his little arguement with Maxie, he would of noticed the shaky hand pressed on the wall in the hallway.
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Spinelli's wobbly legs carried him back to Maxie's room, where he crumbled onto her bed. His head rested in his clammy hands. He felt like a fool. Things were supposed to change when he returned from California. But they didn't. They were never going to change. Maxie wasn't about to see or accept the love he had for her. He was destined to be the hapless friend in the background. The one who only got to kiss her skinned knees after she'd fall. Why didn't she understand, that in his arms, she would never fall? He couldn't let her. It really didn't matter now, though. Maxie made her choice. It was time for him to make one too.
Spinelli walked over to Maxie's closet and pulled out his duffle bag. If she wanted Johnny Zacharra, he wouldn't stand in her way. His heart broke with every article of clothing he stuffed in that bag. Maxie was content with him being her "essential person", her "B.F.F". But he wasn't. He wanted more, he wanted everything. Something that she couldn't give him. He didn't blame her. Compared to Johnny, Spinelli was a whimp. A stumbling, bumbling bafoon, that lived in his own fantasy land. Nothing like the strong, brooding Mob Prince. The man that Maxie described so many times as "hot". It was no mystery why Maxie preferred Johnny. The sound of his name interupted his train of thought. Only one person said it that way.
"Spinelli?" Maxie repeated. She was terrified by the image of her friend packing his bags. "What's wrong? Did Jason call and tell you something was up?" She rushed to his side, her eyes staring at his profile waiting nervously for the answer.
An eerie silence fell in the room. After a few moments, Spinelli spoke. "What is going on between you and the Mob Prince?"
"N-n-nothing" she stuttered.
Spinelli shut his eyes in frustration at her words. Maxie didn't even respect him enough to be honest. If he couldn't have her love, could he at least have the truth? "He seems to think otherwise. I heard your discussion this morning." He turned his face to her's.
Maxie stumbled backwards. "I don't know what you think you heard. But I swear there is nothing going on with Johnny and me".
"Did you, you..." he sighed heavily, trying to muster the strength to ask the question he already knew the answer to. "Did you sleep with him?'' He was still looking at her, pushing back the tears in his eyes.
Realizing there was no escaping the events of last night, Maxie whispered "Yes. Last night" She dropped her head in shame. "But that was the only time and I promise it will never happen again", she tried to explain.
Hearing that it happened last night, Spinelli's heart dropped to his feet. Something snapped in the young man's mind. "So, everything you said last night was a lie? You were just trying to cover up your night of passion with the unfaithful Mob Prince. You, you were not 'missing me' at all." Spinelli said as he took a step towards her. Maxie stood there, shaking her head and uttering no. "Was everything you said in California a lie too? I stayed because you said 'you needed me'. I stayed because, because you said..." his words trailed off as he turned away from her, "...you said you loved me". He knew he lost the fight with his tears when they slowly fell one by one. Shaking his head, Spinelli stuffed the remaining pieces into his duffle bag.
Maxie took a quick step towards him. "But you can't leave. Jason told you to stay here and the F.B.I. are looking for you. Sam and that awlful Winnifred are working to clear your name...." she rambled, desperately listing any and all excuses she had to keep Spinelli from leaving. When she couldn't think of any more, she spoke the truth. "... and I do need you. I do love you. Please don't abandon me too?". She tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder.
Spinelli felt the tension in his shoulders begin ease with her tender touch. He so wanted to believe her. He wanted to stay. But he'd been here too many times, thinking one thing while Maxie meant another. He turned to face her. "And do what? Turn a blind eye while you carry on your torrid affair with the Mob Prince? Sit silently while the two of you deceive fair Lulu? Watch from the sidelines as my own heart gets ripped apart? No! My deepest apologies, but I cannot and will not bear witness to such acts". Grabbing his coat and messager bag off the bed, he walked out, taking his duffle bag with him.
Maxie turned and watched the man she loved exit her bedroom. She couldn't let it end this way. Her heart was on the line. So she did what she always did when it was, she lashed out. "You wanna leave me! Fine!" she yelled following him down the hall. Maxie continued her tirade into the living room. "That was the plan, after all. Wasn't it? Drop your 'fair Maximista' while you traveled the world with your little geekette Winnifred, righting wrongs and saving lost treasures from temples of doom! God, Spinelli, grow up!". She rushed by him and opened the door herself. "Like I said, you wanna leave, go! Don't let me stop you. But when the F.B.I. gets you, don't say I didn't warn you." When he didn't move fast enough, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door. "Go I said! Get out!" she pushed into Spinelli's chest until he stumbled backwards out. She then slammed the door into his face. Walking over to the couch, Maxie sobbed openly into her hands. She collasped on the couch, clutching a pillow to her chest, feeling that all to familar sting go down her spine.
Spinelli pushed through the glass doors of Maxie's building. His hand reached in the pocket of his jacket. Placing his duffle bag onto the concrete, he began to dial Jason's number. Just as he hit the send button, Spinelli heard a deep voice yelling his name. "Freeze!" the voice screamed. He turned around to see where the voice was coming from. The sound was coming from up the block. Two police officers were aiming guns at the young man. Doing as he was told, Spinelli put both his hands up in the air. As the two officers approached him, he heard one of them yell " He has gun!". Spinelli dropped his hands to show them it wasn't a gun. But before he could say the words "cell phone", Spinelli felt a fireball rip through his flesh. He instantly dropped the phone and moved his hand to see what that burning feeling was. Putting his hand up to his face, Spinelli watched the blood ooze down his fingers. His eyes rolled to the back of his as he fell to the ground. The only sound after that was Jason's voice screaming Spinelli's name through the phone next to his body.