Author's Note: Wellll, here's chapter ten, and I'm sorry darlings, but it's another depressing chapter. Bear with me though! This would have been updated sooner, but my life is rather drama prone at the moment, so I've kinda been putting off writing about even more drama. Anyway, review and hopefully enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own RENT. Wow, I'm getting sick of writing these disclaimers.
Maureen lay in bed beside Mark, clad in a white Bangles t-shirt and black sweats, as his arms wrapped around her waist in his sleep. She had been laying there for what seemed like hours, completely unable to sleep.
What was with Mark? Maybe she was just being stupid and self-conscious and maybe he really did just wanna wait. Then again, what if it was just his excuse?
Maureen couldn't take it anymore. She had been what-if-ing for days now.
She elbowed him gently.
No response.
She sighed, pulling her self out from between his arms and tapped on his shoulder.
Still no response.
"Marky, wake up!" she hollered.
"Jeez, where's the fire?" Mark mumbled, slowly awakening from a deep sleep.
"We need to talk," Maureen informed him.
"We need to talk?" Mark repeated in disbelief, "You have got to be kidding me! It's close to midnight!"
"So? Everyone else is still up and I can't sleep," Maureen pouted.
"What's wrong?" Mark probed.
"You love me, don't you?" Maureen inquired, seeking reassurance.
"Maureen, of course," Mark promised.
How could she even ask that? Of course he loved her. He had always loved her and he always would.
"Well, then what's with this waiting business? I mean, I don't mean to be a bitch, but seriously, no one ever denies me!" Maureen pouted yet again.
"Mo, is that really what this is about?" Mark questioned as Maureen sadly nodded in response, "Maureen, look, I just think it's better if I wait. It doesn't even need to be until marriage, but I'm just not ready for that right now."
"Look, Marky, maybe it would be better if we just sort of take a break from each other right now," Maureen decided, her eyes beginning to water, although Mark was oblivious due to the fact that they were in the darkness, their only source of light at the moment being the moon.
No matter how many times he said otherwise, she couldn't kill the voice in the back of her head that told her it was her fault. He didn't love her. He didn't want her. She wasn't good enough.
"Y-You mean like break up?" Mark inquired, his voice breaking, although Maureen was too distracted to pick up on it.
"Yeah," Maureen muttered.
"F-Fine then," Mark replied.
He could've argued it. He could have fought it. But Maureen always got what she wanted. And apparently she didn't want him. In fact all of that 'do you love me?' stuff was probably just a ploy to get him to say no so that she could use that as an excuse to break up with him. Mark felt like he was going to die. He finally got Maureen after God knows how many years of admiring her from a distance and now they were over. He felt like his world was crashing down.
"I-I'm gonna sleep on the couch," Mark decided, rising to his feet and exiting the room, leaving Maureen alone to sob in a heap.
She just couldn't take it. She felt so unloved and so alone. She sighed to herself, finally sitting up after several minutes. She knew the one person she could talk to who could understand. Mimi had always been there for her in good times and in bad and she knew she could count on her to talk to her about it and set her head straight. Help her decide what to do. What to tell Mark.
Maureen stood up and sauntered toward the door, exiting her room and walking to Mimi's door. She took a deep breath before banging on it.
Within a few moments, Mimi answered, dressed in her "A Chorus Line" sweatshirt with black dance shorts, her eyes puffy as though she had been crying.
"Hey, Meems," Maureen greeted, "I was wondering if I could talk to you."
"Sure," Mimi agreed, her voice relatively monotonous as she stepped to the side, allowing Maureen to come in and plop down on her bed.
"Where's Roger?" Maureen inquired.
"Downstairs," Mimi replied.
"Oh, okay then. Well, look, I really need someone to talk to-" Maureen began.
"About your bulimia?" Mimi confronted.
That was it. Mimi did not care how bitchy or forward she was. She needed to talk to Maureen about this and now. She was having a really shitty night and sure as hell did not feel like pretending she was clueless.
"Excuse me?" Maureen countered.
"Look, Mo, I know. I figured it out. You always run to the bathroom after you eat, tons of food might I add, and you've been in a really weird funk lately. But what I don't get it how could you do that? You have everything, Mo, everything! People love you. You have tons of friends, a wonderful boyfriend, great parents. You have nothing to be worried about!" Mimi lamented.
"Look, Meems-" Maureen started.
"How could you do that to yourself?" Mimi interrupted, "Look, I'm just confused. I mean, you have everything going for you!"
"I dunno," Maureen whispered, "I guess it just made everything better. When stuff wasn't right with Mark. When I was having issues in school. When I got in that fight with you. You always think I'm better than you at everything, but apparently not. You would never do this. You have more self control. I mean, it's like, I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't resist. Not to mention I've been putting some weight on lately."
"Maureen, are you hearing yourself?" Mimi reacted, "You're probably one third my weight! This is insane. You need to get help when we get home. You need to stop it. I can't understand why you would do this to yourself."
"Exactly! You wouldn't understand! That's my exact point! You're not me! You don't understand what I'm going through!" Maureen shouted, "You just think your life is so difficult because I always steal the spotlight and get more credit! Well getting all the credit isn't that great! People talk about me! I have issues of my own! You're in a perfect relationship with your boyfriend and your only real problem is being jealous of me!"
"You know what, Mo? I thought we had resolved this. But apparently I was wrong. I am not having this discussion with you right now. Just leave. You have no idea what you're talking about," Mimi angrily stated as she looked her best friend in the eye.
"Fine," a teary-eyed Maureen agreed before walking out and slamming the door behind her.
Mimi was fuming. She and Maureen had settled that. They had gotten over the competition. Or so she thought. Hmph. And Roger! How could he not believe her! That was it. Benny was getting a piece of her mind.
A/N: Well, that's the end. Okay, I realize making Maureen a bulimic was sort of random, but blame IAmNowACheckerboardChick. The first time she heard the OBC version of RENT she thought that when Joanne was on the phone with Maureen and said "You won't throw up", it meant that Maureen was bulimic and Joanne was telling her to like, stop. So I just kinda liked the idea and used it in this. Anyway, the last chapter was RogerMimi centric, this was MarkMaureen centric, and the next chapter will be BennyApril centric. Yay! Review please! :) And vote in the poll if you haven't already!