Note: I don't own RENT or Lori! Or Eric for that matter. But I do own Aggie (thank you aspirer for saying you liked her te he)! . If there is something you wanna see or don't like let me know. I do have a direction that I'm going in but I would like your feed back (smile). And don't worry Angel/Collins love is coming in a few chappies. A heads up as well, this is the last T rated chapter! (eats bannana split)
"Uh huh….really? Uh huh…….Uh huh. Uh huh." Maureen mumbled while balancing the telephone between her shoulder and picking at her fingernails. "Really?"
Roger smiled to himself, "Try to sound a bit more excited, Mo."
"REALLY?" Maureen asked rolling her eyes at the phone instead of Roger's comment.
"Hey Maureen, tell your girlfriend I gotta call my mother." Collins said pacing back and forth in front of the couch where Maureen sat. She nodded but made no effort to say anything.
"It's ok, honey. She'll tell her when she gets a word in." Angel assured him, "Ouch!" She called out pricking her finger with a sewing needle. "That's the third time...I better use the thimble."
Mark raised a brow, "Do thimbles actually work?" He mentioned, a book open on his lap. A book which he was glad to be distracted from. It seemed like Mark had just as much of a good first day as Angel and Collins. Apparently, the professor thought he was the child of a woman sitting next to him. For the rest of the day he reminded his friends of his age…as if they didn't know already.
"Yes." Angel said with a nod, "They protect my digits." She went into her book bag and pulled a thimble out which she put on her finger.
"Oh really?" Maureen practically groaned into the phone.
Collins eyed her as she continued to "talk" with Joanne. It was obvious that Joanne really missed Maureen. But it seemed to him that Maureen was bored by the whole notion. Out of all of them, Maureen and Joanne had the shakiest relationship by far…and people always said that high school relationships never lasted after the move to college. Collins had to hope that most of them would…they had to. One thing was for sure, although he hated to admit it, he wasn't holding his breath for Maureen and Joanne.
"Pookie…pookie….uh huh." Maureen covered her head with her hand, a headache was on its way.
Roger picked up his guitar and quietly played Muzetta's Waltz.
"Oh no, not that awful thing again." Mimi giggled shaking her head from above the want ads.
Roger nodded, "Of course. Now that I found band mates-"
"You did!" Angel asked bouncing up and down, "That's so great Roger, tell us all about them." Mimi put down the newspaper to listen to Roger. She still hadn't circled one ad.
Roger shrugged continuing to pluck the guitar, "They're nice guys. Andre and Frank. Drums and Bass. Don't worry though Angel if Andre ever gets sick you'll be our backup."
Angel giggled continuing her sewing, "I don't know, Roger, I'm not that good."
"I know one thing I'm not good at." Mark grumbled looking down into his psych book, "This stuff is so…aggravating…I don't care why my brain works the way it does, I'm happy it does work but…I don't care how."
Collins patted his back. "Don't worry. In a few weeks it will all be lost from your brain and then you'll have to relearn it in time for midterms and finals." He offered his friend a large grin.
Mark frowned, "I don't like you."
"Aw…Marki!" Collins grabbed Mark and gave him a loving noggie.
"Leave me…ah! Collins!" Mark yelled out as he struggled.
Roger chuckled, "Give in Mark, it's not worth it." Mark went limp as Roger suggest and Collins let go instantly.
"It's not fun unless they struggle." Collins commented.
"How manly." Angel smirked at her boyfriend's display.
Mimi giggled turning the page of the newspaper, "Collins has gotta prove his manhood somehow." Collins gave Mimi the finger as he started to pace back and forth once again.
Maureen closed her eyes out of frustration, "Uh huh. Look Joanne, Collins has to call his mother. Bye." Without another word, she hung up.
Mark picked up his book and said quietly, "That was…kinda harsh don't you think?"
"Well it's the truth." Maureen objected handing the phone to Collins, "Here you go. I'm gonna go shower." She started to strip down before she even made it to the bathroom. With only a bra and panties on when she closed the bathroom door behind her.
"Classy." Roger mumbled to himself.
"Be nice." Angel said shaking her thimbled finger at her friend. The rocker simply shrugged not willing to comment.
Collins stared at the phone for a moment. This could be it. Maybe his mother would actually answer. And then he could explain how school was…less then fun, despite meeting Aggie. Then he could ask how she was doing. Tempt her into going into rehab. Tell her that Peter and Sybil already volunteered to help her if she ever needed it. That is of course, if she picked up the phone.
He dialed the familiar number, the number he had memorized for kindergarten, into the phone. Angel looked up at him and pointed to the ground by her feet, worried that he was going to pace himself to death. So he sat down by her feet and she gave his shoulder a squeeze of encouragement.
The dial tone pounded into Collins' ear over and over. "Pick up…" He whispered.
Roger stopped playing his guitar making the room completely silent. Maureen hadn't even started her shower yet. They all listened. Hoping that Collins could reconnect.
Finally a voice came over the phone, "Hello?"
Collins sat up and smiled, "Hi uhh…" He realized that the voice wasn't his mother's, it was a man's voice, "Is Alice Collins there?" He asked while his brain moved a mile a minute. Was his mother dating again? Already?
"I'm sorry there is no one who lives here by that name." The man said some clear confusion coming through in his voice.
Collins frowned rubbing his chin, "Maybe I got the wrong number…is this 785-5544?"
"No…that's our number." The man said, "Oh perhaps you are looking for the woman who just moved out."
"Ex…Excuse me?" Collins asked taken aback.
"Yes we've just moved to Scarsdale. The woman who lived here before us I believe her name was Alice. Or maybe it was Alison. She was a sad woman, her family abandoned her." The man explained.
Collins closed his eyes and paused before saying, "Do you know where she went? If she went to live with Helen…a cousin of hers or something. Do you know anything?"
"Who is this I'm speaking to?" The man asked. Angel dropped her sewing to her lap and watched Collins' face expression's closely. Roger kept his eyes down but listened to his voice. Mark did the same his eyes scanning the same few words in his textbook. Mimi lifted her head and then turned back to the ads.
"This is her son." Collins said quietly.
"Oh." The man seemed to be appeased, "I don't know where she went. Only that she couldn't afford this place on her own. She mentioned nothing about where she was going to live. Only that it would be better for her to leave…I really think she hated it here."
Collins pressed his lips together nodding, "You're right…I think she did…thanks for all your help." He turned the phone off and threw it on the ground harder then he had intended. "She moved out of the house. And she never told me."
Angel slipped down from the chair and hugged Collins close. He gladly melted into her.
Mark closed his psych book solemnly, "I'm sorry." He whispered to Collins. It was a slap in the face to the teen. And Mark knew it, "Maybe your dad knows…you know for legal reason with the divorce and all."
Angel nodded a response to Mark holding out her palm. This wasn't the time. Mark ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach and went back to his reading. Roger stared to play Muzetta's Waltz again, though this time, the tempo was much slower.
"I think I'm gonna go out again who wants to come?" Mimi asked glancing at the bathroom door. The sound of falling water finally hit their ears. She stood up and looked at Angel and Collins, "Might make you feel better."
"Nice try , Meems." Collins mumbled in Angel's chest.
Mimi nodded slipping her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans, "Anyone else?"
Roger gulped looking between Collins and Mimi, "Umm…is tonight really appropriate Mimi? I thought you wanted to look more for-"
"I gave up." Mimi said quickly, "I'll look for another paper tomorrow. There weren't many ads for dancers…at least the type I wanna be. C'mon Roger." She sashayed up to him, "You know, you wanna."
"Mimi…I don't know…" Roger said quietly looking at Collins.
"He'll be fine. Angel's gonna take care of him." Mimi whispered to him. Roger knew it was true. Angel was Collins' official comforter and visa versa. Collins would be a wreak…but there wasn't so much he could do.
Roger gulped, "Ok. But not as late as last night, ok?"
"Yep. We'll be on a schedule." Mimi clapped her hands. "Let's go." She got up and grabbed her purse from the window seat.
"Mark, you wanna come?" Roger asked standing up and carefully laying his guitar down on the sofa.
"Although it is tempting…I do actually have to get this done." Mark explained pointing to his homework. "But thanks…I'll go later."
Mimi took Roger's hand and pulled him to the door, "C'mon, baby."
"Don't you wanna see if Maureen wants to come?" Roger suggested pointing to the bathroom door, "Maybe she wants to come."
Mimi paused looking at the door. It would be better if Maureen didn't even know Mimi was going out again, "Oh no. She didn't like the party last night. It'll be better anyway with just you and me. Night guys!" She waved to everyone in the room. Roger followed her out giving one last worried glance at Collins.
The door shut and Mark sighed deeply. Then he turned to see Collins still being held by Angel, "Can I get you guys anything?"
"No thanks, Mark." Collins muttered raising his head and wiping away the few tears on his face, "I'll be ok."
Angel kissed his forehead gently, "Do you want to go to bed early?" She offered pulling off his cap. Mark watched them in awe. It really was a testament of the two of them. The strength of their love. Collins would never let anyone touch his cap, nonetheless take it off. Except Angel.
"Yeah…it's been a long day." Collins answered and moved to get up. Angel helped him up from the ground.
"You have to watch your stomach." She pointed out.
Collins sighed walking towards their room, "It's fine Angel, it's a scar now. It doesn't hurt." Angel wrapped her arm around his back.
"I know, baby. I don't wanna take any chances. Night Mark." She waved back at the filmmaker.
Mark waved back, "Night guys. Feel better Collins." He said quickly watching the couple disappear behind their bedroom door. "Ok…back to you…" Mark mumbled looking back at his psychology book, "Do you offer any help for traumatized teens? Cause that's something that I could actually put into practice." When the book gave him no answer he nodded, "Ok. Fine. Back to conditioned learning. Whatever the hell that is…"
The phone, however, had other plans. Mark looked over to the ringing phone not willing to move from the chair. But then he realized they had yet to record a message for their answering machine. With another sigh, Mark dropped his textbook on the ground and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" Mark asked, "Lori?" An instant smile spread across his face. "Hey how are you? How's Rutgers?" He took a seat again almost bouncing with excitement. It had been ages since he heard from his girlfriend. They didn't even get to say goodbye as Rutgers' classes started the day that Mark was finishing up vacation with his family.
"Really? Wow I'm glad you like it that much." Mark commented noticing the happiness in her voice. But in addition to the happiness, there was a slight hesitance that Mark had not really heard before. "I can't wait to visit you…what do…what do you mean I can't visit you……what do you mean? You meet someone? I meet people all the time…" Mark said quietly already knowing what was coming, "Oh. His name is Eric? That's nice." He leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, "Oh no I understand. It was a high school fling….Sure we can be friends. I'm still friends with your cousin. Yeah…of course. It's nice hearing from you too….oh Eric's there?" Mark clenched his fist, "Yeah. Go ahead I don't mind…yeah see you around…bye." He turned off the phone and dropped it onto the ground.
"How could she?" Mark whispered to himself. Feeling almost like a zombie, he allowed his feet to carry him to Angel and Collins' door. He knocked on it quietly in case they decided to sleep already.
Angel came to the door in her pj's, "Hey sweetie who was on the…oh god Mark what's wrong?" She brought her friend into the room seeing his face.
Collins sat up in bed, "Are you ok, man?" He questioned weakly, his eyes sore from crying.
Angel guided Mark to sit down on the bed, "Go ahead, honey, tell us what happened."
"That was Lori…she met someone else." Mark said quietly then letting his body fall onto the bed, "I….I don't get it."
Angel rubbed her head and frowned deeply, "I'm so sorry Mark." What else did they need today? Collins got out of bed and went over to hug Mark. He planted a kiss on his forehead.
"I know it's cliché but…" Collins started to say.
"There are other fishes in the sea." Mark grumbled knowing what was coming.
Collins nodded as Angel came around to hug the other side of Mark, "True. But that's not what I was going to say. I was going to say…there are other dogs in the sea."
Angel raised her head, "Baby, that makes no sense."
"I know…I didn't wanna admit that Mark read my mind." Collins explained pinching Mark's cheek and taking a deep breath, "It's true Mark. Lori is a really nice girl, but that doesn't mean that she's the one for you."
Mark moaned and closed his eyes, "I thought she was."
Collins leaned up and nodded rubbing his eyes. "Sometimes you can't depend on people." Angel looked up at Collins worry in her eyes. They both needed counseling tonight and she didn't know if she could do it on her own. Especially when she needed therapy herself after her little flashback during class.
"Hey guys…" Maureen said at the doorway in her bathrobe, "Oh God what happened?"
"I was dumped." Mark said in a monotone voice.
"Oh. Lori did that? I didn't know she had the guts to do anything like that!" Maureen exclaimed.
Angel sighed, so much for Maureen being a help.
"Wait…" Maureen said standing the doorway still, "Where's Mimi and Roger?"
"They went out to party. Like the one last night apparently." Collins explained. The drama queen stared off into space.
"You ok, honey?" Angel asked her noticing some fear in Maureen's eyes.
"We'll see." Maureen said simply walking over to the bed and throwing herself next to Mark and Angel. "Probably not. No…I really don't think so."
"Ok group hug." Mark announced and they did just that.
"I love you guys." Maureen said with a grin, giving them all a squeeze.
Collins poked her stomach, "No way Mo. I love you too…even you Markie."
"I'm flattered." Mark mumbled a small smile spreading across his lips.
"And what about me?" Angel asked in an offended voice.
Maureen snorted, "Angel, babe, I'm pretty sure that all of the world knows Collins loves you."
"You're right." Angel giggled leaned up to kiss Collins over Maureen and Mark.
Mark sighed, "Just how I wanted to spend my night. My two close friends making out above me…ok that sounded wrong." The four friends erupted into giggles. Sure they all had their own issues. Collins had his mother. Angel had her memories. Mark had Lori…or didn't have Lori. And Maureen had a secret. But having the others to laugh with…made all of those issues easier to face.
Post: Next Chapter: Roger and Mimi party. Collins gets a hold of his father still searching for his mother.
