A/N: Ok, now I'm crazy. Three updates in one day. Not good.

Time for some "Mimi thinks her life sucks" moments, brought to you by Saran VD.

YAY! I'm making Joanne and Mimi friends in this, because Mimi doesn't have any other RENT homies to talk to…

How did I Get Here? How the &$#?

Ravenclaw

Mimi sighed and stared out the window, curled into a tight ball. 'Why do I have to be the one that is alone?' she wondered. 'I am no good with making friends or anything.'

Joanne walked over to her, holding a copy of The Standard Book of Spells: Grade One.

"You ok?" she asked.

Mimi shook her head.

"I saw you on the train with those other New Yorkers. I was wondering where you all were. I was going to join you, but your compartment looked full enough already."

That got Mimi's attention. "You're from New York, too?"

"Yep. My parents are lawyers. They want me to be one, too, but now…"

"…That I've been accepted into Hogwarts I want todo something else with my life," the two girls said together.

"My mom dances at the Catscratch Club," said Mimi. "She sneaks out in the middle of the night, leaving me to watch my little brother, and buys smack. I had originally wanted to be just like Mom, because she always seems so happy. But I'm cut out for more than smack and a strip-club."

"Amen to that," said Joanne. "My parents want me to be the perfect child. The always–on-her-best-behavior kind of girl. If I screw up, my parents go insane. It sucks."

"My mom never notices if I'm in a crunch. She's too high."

"What about your dad?"

Mimi turned away from Joanne.

"Sorry," said Joanne quickly, laying her hand on Mimi's shoulder, "I didn't mean… I'm sorry."

"I had a sister once, too," said Mimi. "My baby sister. She was born last year. Dad was in charge of watching her, because Mom was so busy with Jake, my brother, who was two at the time. So one day, my sister, Esperanza, was crying really loudly. It was at about midnight. Mom was out buying smack. Dad couldn't get her to quiet down, so he started shaking her…"

Joanne gasped.

"… Until she stopped crying. And moving. And breathing. Oh, it was horrible. I didn't realize anything had happened, so the next morning I went over to her crib and there she was, just lying there with those huge, vacant eyes…" Mimi began to sob.

Joanne walked over and gave her new friend a hug. "Mimi…"

"So… Dad… in jail… death…" Mimi couldn't finish.

"Bed," said Joanne. "You'll feel better in the morning."

Mimi nodded and wiped her eyes. She climbed into bed and cried herself too sleep.

"Hey," said an unfamiliar voice. Mimi looked up to see a girl with straight blonde hair and blue eyes.

"What?" asked Mimi groggily. She was not a morning person, even if she'd been awake for an hour.

"I heard you talking to Joanne last night."

"You heard?"

"Yeah," the girl said, blushing. "I'm sorry about everything. I really am. If you ever need to talk…"

Mimi smiled at the girl. "Thanks."