A/N: Thanks all for the reviews… uh sorry for any injuries, failed tests
or broken keyboards the last chapter may have caused. I think that is all
for the major surprised, but who knows what I'll come up with. (I just
have to say, working hard at work again and as I was typing this my boss
came in and offered me a full time position. YAY! If she only knew I was
sitting here writing fanfic. HEH.)
"Maureen?"
I stepped past Roger. "M…mark?" She began straightening her skirt, itching her nose, fixing her hair. "What are you doing here?"
"Come on, Maureen, let's go." Roger walked towards her and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the van.
"No!" She shimmied away from him. "It's Mark!" She stepped closer to me and stretched out her arms. I pulled her into an embrace. We held each other for a long time. I could hear Roger fuming next to us.
I finally let her go, "You look good." She smiled up at me, rubbing my hair, which I now wear really short and no longer bleach.
"You too."
"Liar. I look like shit." She reached up to my face, "No more glasses?"
"Oh right." I smiled, "I got contacts a few years ago."
"Maureen, we have to go." Roger impertinently stated.
"Fuck off, it's Mark."
"Yeah, I know, but we still have to go."
"Do you guys want to go out for coffee?" I stammer, still trying to grasp everything that is going on.
"No." Roger said again. "I have to get to a gig." He grabbed Maureen's arm again and this time she followed him.
"Bye-bye, Marky."
"Wait, I… I want…" It was too late, they were already in the van and Tony was driving off. I couldn't even see Maureen. I stood there and watched the van turn the corner and then snapped out of my daze.
What the hell was going on?
I ran back into the studio past Emma, who was trying to get my attention again. I went into my office and closed the door, something that I never did. I quickly sat down at my computer and got on the net and did a search for the Twentynothings. To my surprise, there were a lot of sites dedicated to them. I found the official site and went to their tour dates and found the name of the club they were playing tonight.
"EMMA!" I yelled and miraculously she appeared.
"Yes, Mr.. .Mark?"
"Do you know where the X Club is?"
"Uh, yeah. Sort of."
"Great, write down the directions, I have to call Vanessa."
"Your not going to go there, are you?" She asked nervously.
"Yeah, why?"
"It's in a really bad neighborhood. Not safe at all."
"Eh, I'll be fine." I dial my home number and press send.
"No, I'm serious."
"Emma, I used to live in the East Village. I'll be fine. Vanessa! Hey, look, change of plans. I have to take care of something tonight."
"What do you mean? Our flight leaves in three hours."
"Yeah, I know. I'm going to have to change flights." I grab the directions from Emma and wave to her as I leave.
"Where are you going? If this is for a story…"
"No, its not."
"Then tell me."
"I want to see this band. They are only playing tonight."
"Are you kidding me? I've known you for two years and you have never gone to see a band. Who is it?"
"Roger." I state simply. I get to my car and get inside. "I saw Roger today."
"Roger? Like Roger Roger?"
"Yeah. From New York. His band is playing at this club tonight and I really want to see them."
"What did he say? What did you say?"
"It didn't go well, that's why I want to talk to him."
"Are you sure? Isn't he the reason you left New York?"
"There were a lot of reasons. Vanessa, I have to do this."
I heard her sigh, "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, it would probably be easier on my own."
"OK, will you promise me to be in Scarsdale by tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yeah, sure."
"We have to meet with the Rabbi at 4:00. If we don't see him, he won't marry us."
"Fine. I'll be there."
"Mark, promise me."
"I promise. Look, I'm getting on the Freeway, I need to go."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Good luck, Mark."
I hung up the phone and continued driving towards South Los Angeles in an area that I really hadn't been to before. I followed Emma's directions, and ended up getting lost. It took me about two hours to finally find the club, down an alleyway, with only a little sign. Of course, no one was there yet. It was only 7:00. Emma was right, this wasn't the best neighborhood, so I decided to go sit in my car and wait.
What the hell was going on with Maureen? Were they actually together? What happened to Joanne… and Collins? Was Roger using again? Why was he so angry with me? A million scenarios filled my mind but none that I was satisfied with. Finally, about two hours later, the same van pulled up.
I got out of my car and approached them, Tony saw me first. "He's baaack!" He sang.
Roger climbed out of the van, "Fuck, don't you take a hint?"
"I guess not." Roger shut the door behind him. "Where's Maureen?"
"She's at the hotel, resting."
"Oh." I looked to the ground. "Look, I don't know what to say."
"There isn't much, is there?"
I shook my head.
"Why are you here, Mark?"
"I'm worried… about Maureen."
"You think you can swoop in and save the day? "
"No, I just want to know what happened."
"Why? You left."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Davis, are you coming?" One of the band members yelled.
"Yeah, I'll be there in minute." He turned back to me. "I don't want to hear your apologies, I just want know why you left, why you never called, why the hell did you disappear?"
"I don't know exactly." I whisper.
"Great. Ok then. Look, I have to go."
"No, wait… I didn't think…" He glared down at me. "I didn't think you needed me."
"But didn't you need us?"
I remained silent.
"You're a fucking idiot."
"Why?"
He shook his head at me. "Because you left when we needed you most."
"No, you were ok… Mimi was ok."
"Yeah, right. You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better." He looked away for a moment, "You knew she was dying and you left me to deal with it on my own."
"I know… I'm sorry."
He straightened his body again. "Yeah, well it was fine. I dealt with it. I didn't need you after all."
His words stung. "I'm… I'm glad."
We stood in silence for a few minutes. Maybe there really wasn't anything left to say. "Well, I guess I should go." I stuttered, hoping he would ask me to stay.
"Yeah, you probably should." I nodded.
"It was good to see you." I waved and turned away.
"Mark?" I stopped short. "I need you now. I need your help with Maureen."
I closed my eyes and turned around. "What do you want me to do?"
"Maureen?"
I stepped past Roger. "M…mark?" She began straightening her skirt, itching her nose, fixing her hair. "What are you doing here?"
"Come on, Maureen, let's go." Roger walked towards her and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the van.
"No!" She shimmied away from him. "It's Mark!" She stepped closer to me and stretched out her arms. I pulled her into an embrace. We held each other for a long time. I could hear Roger fuming next to us.
I finally let her go, "You look good." She smiled up at me, rubbing my hair, which I now wear really short and no longer bleach.
"You too."
"Liar. I look like shit." She reached up to my face, "No more glasses?"
"Oh right." I smiled, "I got contacts a few years ago."
"Maureen, we have to go." Roger impertinently stated.
"Fuck off, it's Mark."
"Yeah, I know, but we still have to go."
"Do you guys want to go out for coffee?" I stammer, still trying to grasp everything that is going on.
"No." Roger said again. "I have to get to a gig." He grabbed Maureen's arm again and this time she followed him.
"Bye-bye, Marky."
"Wait, I… I want…" It was too late, they were already in the van and Tony was driving off. I couldn't even see Maureen. I stood there and watched the van turn the corner and then snapped out of my daze.
What the hell was going on?
I ran back into the studio past Emma, who was trying to get my attention again. I went into my office and closed the door, something that I never did. I quickly sat down at my computer and got on the net and did a search for the Twentynothings. To my surprise, there were a lot of sites dedicated to them. I found the official site and went to their tour dates and found the name of the club they were playing tonight.
"EMMA!" I yelled and miraculously she appeared.
"Yes, Mr.. .Mark?"
"Do you know where the X Club is?"
"Uh, yeah. Sort of."
"Great, write down the directions, I have to call Vanessa."
"Your not going to go there, are you?" She asked nervously.
"Yeah, why?"
"It's in a really bad neighborhood. Not safe at all."
"Eh, I'll be fine." I dial my home number and press send.
"No, I'm serious."
"Emma, I used to live in the East Village. I'll be fine. Vanessa! Hey, look, change of plans. I have to take care of something tonight."
"What do you mean? Our flight leaves in three hours."
"Yeah, I know. I'm going to have to change flights." I grab the directions from Emma and wave to her as I leave.
"Where are you going? If this is for a story…"
"No, its not."
"Then tell me."
"I want to see this band. They are only playing tonight."
"Are you kidding me? I've known you for two years and you have never gone to see a band. Who is it?"
"Roger." I state simply. I get to my car and get inside. "I saw Roger today."
"Roger? Like Roger Roger?"
"Yeah. From New York. His band is playing at this club tonight and I really want to see them."
"What did he say? What did you say?"
"It didn't go well, that's why I want to talk to him."
"Are you sure? Isn't he the reason you left New York?"
"There were a lot of reasons. Vanessa, I have to do this."
I heard her sigh, "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, it would probably be easier on my own."
"OK, will you promise me to be in Scarsdale by tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yeah, sure."
"We have to meet with the Rabbi at 4:00. If we don't see him, he won't marry us."
"Fine. I'll be there."
"Mark, promise me."
"I promise. Look, I'm getting on the Freeway, I need to go."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Good luck, Mark."
I hung up the phone and continued driving towards South Los Angeles in an area that I really hadn't been to before. I followed Emma's directions, and ended up getting lost. It took me about two hours to finally find the club, down an alleyway, with only a little sign. Of course, no one was there yet. It was only 7:00. Emma was right, this wasn't the best neighborhood, so I decided to go sit in my car and wait.
What the hell was going on with Maureen? Were they actually together? What happened to Joanne… and Collins? Was Roger using again? Why was he so angry with me? A million scenarios filled my mind but none that I was satisfied with. Finally, about two hours later, the same van pulled up.
I got out of my car and approached them, Tony saw me first. "He's baaack!" He sang.
Roger climbed out of the van, "Fuck, don't you take a hint?"
"I guess not." Roger shut the door behind him. "Where's Maureen?"
"She's at the hotel, resting."
"Oh." I looked to the ground. "Look, I don't know what to say."
"There isn't much, is there?"
I shook my head.
"Why are you here, Mark?"
"I'm worried… about Maureen."
"You think you can swoop in and save the day? "
"No, I just want to know what happened."
"Why? You left."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Davis, are you coming?" One of the band members yelled.
"Yeah, I'll be there in minute." He turned back to me. "I don't want to hear your apologies, I just want know why you left, why you never called, why the hell did you disappear?"
"I don't know exactly." I whisper.
"Great. Ok then. Look, I have to go."
"No, wait… I didn't think…" He glared down at me. "I didn't think you needed me."
"But didn't you need us?"
I remained silent.
"You're a fucking idiot."
"Why?"
He shook his head at me. "Because you left when we needed you most."
"No, you were ok… Mimi was ok."
"Yeah, right. You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better." He looked away for a moment, "You knew she was dying and you left me to deal with it on my own."
"I know… I'm sorry."
He straightened his body again. "Yeah, well it was fine. I dealt with it. I didn't need you after all."
His words stung. "I'm… I'm glad."
We stood in silence for a few minutes. Maybe there really wasn't anything left to say. "Well, I guess I should go." I stuttered, hoping he would ask me to stay.
"Yeah, you probably should." I nodded.
"It was good to see you." I waved and turned away.
"Mark?" I stopped short. "I need you now. I need your help with Maureen."
I closed my eyes and turned around. "What do you want me to do?"