Chapter 10
It was a Friday night when Maureen entered the loft, holding fliers in her hand, "Hope you guys don't have plans for tomorrow night." She said while handing them out to everyone.
"Oh we'll be there." Collins said grabbing the paper from her hand, him and Angel reading it over, "I still think it should have been you holding it."
Maureen shrugged, "I helped out at least." She said. "And Mark got a little girlfriend out of it." She teased lightly poking the filmmaker in the ribs.
Mark lightly jumped, wrapping his arms around himself, "She isn't my girlfriend..."
Mimi smiled brightly, her legs resting across Roger's lap, "Yet."
A blush crept onto Mark's face, his cheeks lightly flushing. "I'm not getting my hopes up." He stated heading towards the kitchen a paper airplane hitting the back of his head as he went. "Hey..." He softly whined, rubbing the back of his head and turning around to see Roger hiding his face in Mimi's neck. He just rolled his eyes and helped himself to a can of diet coke.
"Nice shot." Collins chuckled high fiving Roger.
"Thanks." Roger smirked coming out from his hiding spot.
Mimi playfully rolled her eyes, pressing a kiss to his temple, "So Life Cafe tomorrow before the show?"
"Um, well I told Ella I'd be there before the show started to help her add a few last touches, but after?" Maureen asked.
"Sounds good to me." Collins agreed.
The next night there was a full crowd at the protest. Maureen was finishing a few things behind the curtain they had set up, and when she was done she decided to peek through. Her eyes landed on the crowd all eager and ready for the protest to start, and it sent a spark through her, one she hadn't felt in a while. Even if it was just for a brief second it made her feel good, and for that second a bit of her old self found her, but as quickly as it came, it disappeared and she closed the curtain and turned around to face a pacing Ella.
"Hey!" Maureen greeted walking over to her with as much as a warm smile as she could muster up. She stood in front of her, blocking her path of anymore pacing and put her hands on her shoulders, "Listen...you're going to do great. Just remember those people out there are fighting for the same thing you are, so they're all going to be on your side."
Ella took in a shaky breath, nodding, "I know." She let the breath out, locking eyes with Maureen, "You should do it."
Maureen shook her head, "No, no, no. This is your protest, plus...I don't have...I just...I'm missing something and you have it, so you go out there and save our space."
"Okay, okay...okay." Ella nodded, "Okay...let's do it now or else I'm going to back out."
Maureen nodded, "I'll go open the curtain's." She smiled, patting her shoulder, and then heading off stage.
The curtain's opened and the protest began and just like Maureen's it was hit, but the ending took a turn for the worse and all hell broke loose. Maureen's eyes went wide; panicking because she wasn't standing with the boho's and was by herself. She snapped back into reality when she was bumped a few times by random people trying to flee the building. Luckily for her she knew her way around this place and knew of another way out, a way so she wouldn't get trampled.
She pushed her way to the back, finding a woman being pressed up against the wall as people scurried about, trying not to get caught by police. She sighed, shaking her head, but she pushed her way to the woman, not looking as she grabbed her hand, "Just follow me." She shouted over the chaos and tugged the stranger along with her and behind the stage, and finally out into the back alley, free of people.
"Thanks, Maureen."
Maureen froze, her hand dropping the woman's, her eyes wide, too stunned to turn around, but her voice seemed to be working, "Joanne?"
"I...uh yeah." Joanne said her voice catching in her throat.
"What're you...?" She paused, her mouth suddenly dry. She swallowed trying to get her body to function again, also trying to decide if she wanted to turn around and face the lawyer, not sure how it would make her feel even though it had been some time since their break up. "Why are you here?" She asked, still facing straight ahead, her fingers running nervously through her hair.
Joanne bit her lip before she spoke, her eyes fluttering to the ground, "I just... I wanted to support this."
Maureen's fingers balled into fists, emotions coursing through her. She finally spun around, facing Joanne, getting hit with even more feelings, "I..." she shook her head, words unable to form.
"That should have been you...up there." Joanne said locking eyes with Maureen for a moment and then looking away.
"Yeah..." Maureen whispered the yelling and screaming now echoing down the alley they were in. Maureen turned her head to look out at the opening, seeing people running by, "We have to get out of here before the cops come. I know they can't hold us that long, but I'd rather not be stuck in jail with you."
A jolt of pain went through Joanne, slightly nodding, "I guess I deserve that."
"Come on." Was all Maureen said brushing passed Joanne and leading her in the opposite direction of the commotion and to a safer area, the awkward 5 minute walk full of silence. When they reached the street Maureen stopped, "You can catch a cab here and take it back to your apartment."
"Thanks." Joanne said, hailing one as it approached this interaction with Maureen not going as she imagined it would.
"Maureen!"
The two girls both jumped turning down the street finding Collins and Roger rushing over.
"Thank God." Collins said, "Come on-" He paused eyeing Joanne, "Oh."
"Hey, Jo." Roger nodded, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. Joanne politely smiled, happy to see Roger again. Angel, Mimi and Mark still visited her sometimes, but she hadn't seen Roger in a while, it was nice to see him again, so nice she even wanted to give him a hug, but she knew that'd be a little too weird.
Collins wrapped an arm around Maureen's waist, "I thought they got you."
Maureen faintly smirked shaking her head, "Nope."
"Anyway." Joanne said walking to the cab, opening the door, "It was nice...seeing you guys again." She said her eyes fully on Maureen.
"You too." Maureen whispered, leaning into Collins, "Bye."
"Bye." Joanne said turning to the cab.
"Come on everyone is waiting at the Life Cafe." Collins said tugging Maureen with him.
"Yeah and it's cold." Roger said already heading in the direction of the restaurant.
Joanne still hadn't slid into the cab yet, her mind running a mile a minute, finally she turned around, "Maureen!"
All three of them stopped. Roger was a little bit ahead, so he leaned against the wall of a building and lit a cigarette, Collins still had a protective arm wrapped around Maureen's waist, and Maureen wasn't sure what to do.
"We can keep walking." Collins said looking down at her.
Maureen let out a breath shaking her head, finally just pulling away from Collins and turning to face the direction of Joanne, raising a brow, cueing her to carrying on with whatever she had to say.
"I miss you." Joanne blurted stepping back onto the sidewalk, "I'm sorry."
Maureen nodded, putting her head in her hands, her eyes teary, "I... can't do this right now, Joanne." She said her voice hitching, "I..." she paused, biting her lip, fighting back tears, "My friends are waiting. I have to go." She finally just stated turned around and walked off, grabbing the cigarette that was hanging from Roger's mouth as she did, inhaling deeply.
Joanne was left there watching her go, her own tears running down her face. She avoided Collins' look and turned around, getting into the cab and telling the driver to quickly go.
Later at the Life Cafe Collins watched as Maureen put on a show, fake smile included. After the crowd died down, Maureen went to the bathroom, Collins following her, waiting outside the bathroom door, actually trying to listen to hear if she was throwing up her dinner assuming this run in with Joanne would send her back to step one. Just as he leaned in to get a better listen the bathroom door opened up and he came face to face with Maureen.
"Hey creeper." Maureen said with an amused yet confused smirk on her face. "Does listening to someone pee turn you on or something?"
Collins blushed, at that moment admitting to himself that he was probably getting a little out of hand with keeping an eye on Maureen. "No, I...sorry, Mo. I was just making sure-"
"I wasn't throwing up my food?" Maureen said rolling her eyes, "What, because I saw Joanne?"
"Well ...yeah." Collins answered truthfully.
"It's okay." Maureen said, "I've gotten over that with the help of you guys and Life Support." She said, "I'm okay." She said, looking up at him, and then adding, "Well I'm not okay, but I'm not like...harming myself anymore."
"Good." Collins said. "Come have a beer?"
Maureen sighed not really in the mood. She got her fill of the evening: protest, riot, Joanne, acting like she was happy in front of her friends. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep. And that's when Roger stepped in and became her new favourite person of the night.
"I'm heading back to the loft." Roger said walking over while pulling his coat on, "Maureen if you don't want to stay..." he trailed.
Maureen looked up at him, nodding right away. "Yes. I'll crash there tonight if you don't mind."
He nodded, "Collins bring Mimi home safe? And make sure Mark goes home with Ella." He playfully added nodding over to where Mark and Ella were being extra friendly with each other.
Collins grinned nodding, "You can count on me."
After saying goodbye, Roger and Maureen headed back to the loft. Maureen found some old clothes of hers from when she lived there and then sprawled out on the couch.
"Here." Roger said tossing a blanket at her.
"Thanks." Maureen said, "And thanks for getting me out of there."
"No problem." He shrugged, "I know what it's like to not be in the mood to be around anyone." He said, "You're a hell of an actor."
"I think I took the moody look away from you for too long." She teased.
Roger lightly smirked, "It does get better. I know everyone has been saying that to you, but it does. Something good will come along."
"I feel like Joanne was my something good." Maureen said.
"She could be." Roger said shrugging, "You never know what's going to happen, right? Somehow Joanne could come back into your life, or you could meet a new something good. I did."
Maureen nodded, "Yeah I guess."
Roger pursed his lips, not sure what else to say.
"Thanks." Maureen softly smirked. "Again."
Roger smirked, "Good night, Mo."
"Good night." Maureen said, listening as he headed off to his room and shut the door.
Maureen laid there staring at the ceiling a few tears slipping from her eyes, and just when she thought it was going to be a sleepless night, she closed her eyes and she was out faster than ever.